Norbert Haug reveals disappointing results as reason of departure – Formula 1 news
Norbert Haug, who has recently decided to leave Mercedes at the end of this year, has told that disappointing results shown by Mercedes AMG are the reason for his departure.
“There is always somebody who has to accept the overall responsibility. We have had our successes in the past three years, of course, but not consistently enough – so a direction had to be set and a marker laid down,” Haug said. “I got together with the
Board after the season and we sought an amicable solution; we found it, and the talks were as fair as they have always been in the last 22 years.”
Haug has been the president in charge of all Mercedes-Benz activity for the last 22 years. The F1 team was formed in 2010 but could not achieve much success. For the past three F1 seasons, the team has only won one Grand Prix.
Mercedes is going through a lot of changes as the 2013 F1 season is approaching. A new addition to the team in 2013 will be former McLaren driver, Lewis Hamilton, as a replacement for Michael Schumacher. Former F1 champion, Niki Lauda has become the non-executive
chairman.
It was being reported that Lauda might have played some role in Haug’s exit but Haug has already denied any such thing. He told that he made this decision mutually with the board and that Lauda had certainly nothing to do with it. He added that Lauda and
him have always got along nicely; have always respected each other and it is going to remain this way.
Haug has been praised for his services to Mercedes by Dr. Dieter Zetsche, who is the head of the Mercedes-Benz cars, stating that he is thankful to him for his extraordinary commitment to Mercedes over the years.
Schumacher, who retired for a second time after a 3 year deal with Mercedes, said that Haug is living motorsports and that his exit is going to leave a massive hole in the world of motorsports.
Mercedes has been providing McLaren with engines since 1995 so that McLaren’s team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, also said that the team is thankful to him for all the help and support.
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