Why are Mercedes so successful?

Story is that the accountants at MB in the naughties worked out that Merc had been too well built.
Consequently people were hanging on to them too long and not buying a new one every three years.
This was exemplified to me when I was looking at a 1 owner original S class that the owner was replacing with a brand new ( 30 years later) S class.
So our naughties Mercs cut costs, quality and were dogs. Electrics, fancy suspension, folding roofs, all of it.
Great engines though.
Anyway, like the F1 team a brand to be respected (naughties aside) but not one to love.
As for Aston, well I wish it well , but no, not something to buy.
In the end, like Enzo “my first love was Alfa Romeo” and now it is Ferrari.
Which brings us back to this place in which we suffer.
But there is hope...
1) Charles is great
2) My road car is great and better built than a Merc.

 

Agreed. Always said the double 0s were the last of the bunch. That supercharged V8 (S 55 & SL 55) was to die for.........

Unbelievable to say that the current crop of Ferraris are actually more reliable than the German bunch. Let’s hope the ramped up production numbers doesn’t screw that up.


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Because German do things the right way. My dad is German, mom French: I see the difference in the level of thoroughness on the German side. The French side, like the Italian side is more creative but in the end only results matter


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Mercedes learned a lot of bad engineering practices when they owned Chrysler in the late 1998-2007,
{Smaller screws, nuts, bolts, washers, fasteners, connectors, wires, ...} that they had to unlearn after divestment.

 

I don't think the question should be why are Mercedes so successful, it should be why are the others under performing, and more importantly how do they react when things don't go right.

If Mercedes have a bad weekend they go away, put their heads down, study what did or din't work then look for fixes in a quiet efficient way. In other words 'Ready, Aim, Fire'. They then come back the next weekend with a miraculous turn around. If a certain popular team in Red has a bad weekend the resolution starts with the management and local press throwing everyone in the team under the bus, frequent firings and position changes, proclamations of better things to come then surprise when a newly reshuffled team with changes of key personnel can't suddenly make up for months or years of issues. In other words 'Fire, ready, aim'.

I wish people would stop trying to find conspiracies that 'prove' Mercedes are the favored ones and instead just concentrate on getting the basics right. It's especially difficult to claim Merc favoritism after last years behind closed doors engine issue with the FIA and Ferrari. Also on the 'rubber stamping' Mercedes V6 engines. The original proposed hybrid regs were for four cyl engines championed by Renault. It was Ferrari that said they'd quit if cylinder count wasn't increased as they had no interest in an inline 4cyl eninge. They called for V6's, they got V6's, don't whine because someone else did it better. Also I don't buy any lasting benefit from the original V6 rules. Honda came in a year late, having an that year to develop at will without restrictions, with a totally under performing engine. Over the last few years they've completely redesigned their engines and are now at least competitive.

 

Rational and coherent thought is not appreciated around here, stop that!


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Brilliant !!!

 

Yep, constant Mercedes bashing is in fashion on FChat !!

 

Toto Wolff says he is considering whether to continue as Mercedes team principal after this season. - https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53778066

Under Wolff, Mercedes have become the most successful F1 team in history but his contract runs out this year.

He said he was discussing his future with Ola Kallenius, chairman of Mercedes' parent company Daimler.

"Many factors make me want to stay but it takes its toll," Wolff said. "There is no reason not to continue. We will find out in which role."

Wolff is a 30% shareholder in the Mercedes F1 team as well as its boss, and that of the entire Mercedes motorsport programme.

He said: "We want to do the best for the team and continue to see the team prosper. I really enjoy the role and my plan is to continue but I never want to be in situation where you are becoming from very good to good."

Lewis Hamilton has said he wants clarity on Wolff's future before he commits to Mercedes beyond this year, but the Austrian said he did not believe his future would make a difference to the British six-time champion's decision.

"Lewis staying is the best thing he can do and it's what he wants to do," Wolff said.

 

I hope he stays; his work isn't done yet.

 

Agree , destroying definitively the sport.

 

He is preparing to leave. The family/COVID mention has me thinking he is looking to leave. He has accomplished alot and see's next year as more of the same. I would think the long break with lockdown opened his eyes to what he is missing in life. Professionally he is doing well and has achieved many goals. Time for a change.

 

That will be Mercedes' loss: he is a fantastic team principal (the best in the business at the moment) and a great motivator.

 

If he does leave, will be interesting to see who they appoint! Large boots to fill this!

 

Hopefully he ****s off!

 

?? Seriously. How is helping build and run the best team destroying the sport? He should be someone one every other team and team owner is looking to as the gold standard. He's destroyed nothing, he's raised the bar that others need to start reaching for rather than crying life isn't fair.

 

Actually how about Ferrari hiring both Toto and Lewis and watch how fast the glory days return.

 

He is very good indeed.
But he is nothing without the unprecedented financial investment Mercedes has spend in this hybrid era.
And please don't tell me their financial and human investment is comparable to Ferrari.

 

No Camilleri should invest more wisely and stop to care only for stock markets.

 

Mercedes doesn´t need him at all. They kicked out Ross Brawn (compared with him Toto is an amateur, both in the managerial and the cheater role) and the machine kept running anyway. They´re more dependant on the continuous flow of cash coming from Stuttgart, but with Kallenius and the new rules that may change, and it seems that the love affair with FIA and Liberty is also cooling down. So maybe Toto thinks that it´s better to leave now while they´re still at the top and concentrate on making money.

Warm weather racer. I didn´t expect better from that bastard anyway.

 

Todt not Toto has ruined the sport.


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It is for the others to catch up and pass Mercedes.