Pat Symonds leaves Williams

Yes, and the departure of Bottas likely

Just hope Allison doesn't go to Merc

 

+1

 

Afraid, Symonds leaving means Lowe will go to Williams means Allison to Merc. Don't see any alternative. RB has the best shot at them, for the sake for more interesting seasons pray for Renault to make solid progress.

 

I cannot understand why Paddy Lowe leaves Mercedes, a WCC factory team, to join Williams that is struggling and will still be a customer of Mercedes.

It looks to me like a step backwards.

 

Money is money.. I'm guessing he will get more recognition at Williams than at Mercedes, because at Mercedes it is all either because Toto did this, niki did that, or Elton did the other, no one else, including the CURRENT WORLD CHAMPION got credit for anything there

 

So Paddy Lowe is on an ego trip?

 

Decent source told me that Paddy wants to leave because he doesn't want to deal with Elton who doesn't quite simply doesn't listen. Rosberg leaving made it all to easy for him to pack up and leave to.

 

Double blow for Mercedes then...

 

Sid sending you a pm doesn't count as a trustworthy source

 

Hehehehe, you are right, but it wasn't me! So, next guess?

 

It's not an ego trip if you are in charge of an area of the business, and yet your management always take the credit, and even worse if one of your hired help - Elton - is busy telling anyone who will listen that it's he, not your entire works, that is responsible for all success

 

I know, but still jumping from a WCC team to go to a team in decline is a huge stepback just to get "recognition".
The expression like "cutting your nose to spite your face" comes to mind

What recognition will Lowe get at Williams? They are so far from a win.
Williams may be a cosy place to work, but they have less facilities and they are always strapped for cash.
In any case they are Mercedes engine customer, so unlikely to be able to challenge their supplier.
It looks like Pat Symmonds threw the towel after 3 years there.

Still, it's his career, not mine ...

 

Imagine he's been pushed out gently as it's been for Brawn when Lowe arrived. Don't blame them as Allison is available.

 

Perhaps he's in it for the challenge, not the recognition?

He's been with Williams during one of their title years, oversaw multiple championships with Mclaren and Mercedes. Time for a challenge once again.

 

I would think the same. Williams, IMO is nothing compare to Mercedes. Stagnant, struggling, and they are only where they are currently because of the Merc power. Why take a huge step backwards?

My only guess is...money.

 

Well, Symonds was talking about retiring one of these years so finally the time has come for him, willingly or not. Now the question is if the replacement is Allison or Lowe.

Wolff ánd Lauda don´t seem to have any remorse about getting rid of whoever gets in their way, ask Ross Brawn. If now Lowe is asking for too much money, no problem, there are others around there that can do the job, Mercedes is so strong right now that nobody is unexpendable.

 

I would guess that Paddy Lowe was more important to Mercedes success these last 3 years than Wolff and Lauda together.

I don't know exactly why he leaves, but Mercedes is certainly losing an asset, IMO.

 

Best example - Adrian Newey. Left Williams at the end of 1996, after designing 4 WDC winning cars out of 6 seasons, went to McLaren, who had been nowhere for that same 6 year period. Newey's first McLaren car in 1998 won the WDC, and again in 1999. His cars were usually closest to Ferrari in the 6 years that followed.

Following an abortive attempt to go to Jaguar in 2002, he finally jumped to the renamed Red Bull team in 2006, again going from a title winning team to a team that really was nobody and nowhere. It took him 5 seasons to move Red Bull to a title winning team, and they then won 4 years in a row, on the strength of his car designs.

If Newey can do it for the challenge and opportunity, giving up success and stability at a winning team, then other engineers will also take up similar challenges. I know that Lowe's role at Mercedes is different than Newey's at Red Bull, but Williams can certainly benefit from his experience and direction, after the disastrous years wrought by Sam Michael. Symonds has been good for the team, but he's more old school, and old, and Paddy has a few good years left in him!

Imagine if Force India can get great results on a modest budget, via quality/efficient engineering and design, then Williams current budget should be sufficient to achieve similar results with a better engineering team than what they have had for the last 6 years.

 

Absolutely, but Toto and Niki own part of the team. Money talks...

Mercedes is so strong right now that they could win one or two years more with me as Lowe's sucessor.

 

He will get a fresh challenge, and also not have to listen to Hamilton ignoring his direct team instructions for another year.

 

I don't think Lowe gave a crap about his "direct team instructions" being ignored - in fact, Lowe himself said in an interview that Toto told him to radio Hamilton again to speed up, and Lowe refused to make the second radio transmission.

Maybe Lowe resented being ordered by Toto to issue direct team instructions that he didn't agree with?

 

Maybe Lowe just wants to be his own boss rather than be bossed around by toto & niki 24/7. Can you imagine the bi-polar craziness he has endured under those two?