MB is cleaning house: Haug has been let go. http://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/schumi-freund-haug-muss-gehen-id2139271.html
It seems that they´re getting serious after all. Who´s the boss now? Just imagine they put Schumacher in charge: we would get some fun here.
I'm glad to see them making tough decisions. I'd like to see them consistently at the pointy end of the grid along with McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari. Mark
The question is why MB decided to part ways with Haug. It might be over the dismal results for three years or it might be more personal. He is rumored to battle a disease.
Was he relieved of all duties related to MB's motorsports or just F1? Aswell it could also be a mutual decision if he is battling a health issue and he should focus on that.
I haven't heard so much why this happened really, but I'm not surprised. MB has hired a massive number of people 2011 and 2012, so in with the new and out with the old.
Unfortunately, +1. Unless it's for unannounced health reasons I reckon this is a disaster for 'em. He's been around a *long* time and AFAIK is well respected around the paddock. He's certainly done a hell of a job for 'em over the years - From Autosport; It's not clear from the article if he's leaving Merc altogether, or just his current position...... Reads like he's out, but it certainly doesn't say so..... As for Niki - The jury is very much still out I guess. I'm certain he doesn't have as much respect in the paddock as Norbert though. [As WDC, sure, but as a team head, or liaison or WTF he's doing, I dunno?] Cheers, Ian http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104815
That's debatable. Haug was one of the guys who tooted the MB horn the loudest and predicted the WDC in 3 years. Reminds me of Theissen. You can do this only so long before people walk away in disbelief. Notice how Niki didn't fall for the same and didn't promise the title within the near future or at all.
That's because after what he did at Jaguar people would just shake their heads and laugh. At least Haug had a successful background when he made his comments.
I'm telling you, I think Lauda is the biggest mistake MB has made so far. Time will tell if I'm right.
Correct use of the Past Tense. How come? It's pretty obvious he is cleaning up. 2 down, probably more to go. Ferrari could use him. <sigh>
He founded and run Lauda Air. At a time when airlines where nationalized in Europe. He was a rebel entrepreneur and fought Austrian Airlines tooth and nail. When he was racing, they called him "The Computer". Intellectually one of the sharpest drivers in F1. Right up there along with Prost.
If MB gives Lauda the authority to run it with Brawn as a business (hopefully a winning one), then I have confidence in Lauda's positioning within the team. Lauda being present as a talking head would however make little sense to me. Could Lauda simply be a replacement for Haug? I never thought of it that way but I suppose he very well could be. MB's president of the engine division has also changed this week. No idea why.
As I've said before, Ferrari's time to dump members of their technical department should have happened last May. Mercedes can change up some management but they just built their technical department so it would be foolish to touch that. Not to derail too much, but I hypothesized Hamilton needing a few months to meld with the team. He all but just admitted that the other day in stating he would not be moving things along for at least 6 months.
Martin Brundle ‏@MBrundleF1 Farewell Norbert Haug at Mercedes Benz,did a great job over 22 yrs. Seems to be Niki Lauda's gig now. Won't affect Hamilton performance 2013
I agree with the points you made, but as an argument for Lauda being precisely the wrong person for the job he has now.. Lauda Air was a great example of an entrepreneur beating the odds and carving a marketplace in an extremly hostile enviroment. Lauda Air was also a great example of a breakthrough airline in need of a proper manager to manage it after the breakthrough. Lauda was the right person for the first job, wrong one for the second one. Comparison to Prost is a good one too. A magnificent manager of a race, a dismal failure as a team manager..
I get your sentiment, but aren't all these teams run as businesses? I suppose calling it a business sounds crass. The business is unlike any other, but end-game is winning races. A good manager knows their deficits and asserts resources to fix them. In F1s case, every team except Mclaren and Red Bull have an aerodynamic deficit to make up, and only a very select few people are capable of meeting and exceeding the requirements needed to make up that deficit. It's an interesting business form of entertainment/business...if you can call it that? For some reason a formula for making the most powerful vacuum cleaner that has to clean up a giant mess every other weekend just doesn't sound as interesting, but it would have the simple principles of F1. We the people simply chose F1.
The article on Anamera says M-B is simply not renewing Haug's contract which expires at the end of the year. My bet is he's replaced with a bean counter. http://www.finecars.cc/en/editorial/article/news/norbert-haug-concludes-his-career-as-head-of-mercedes-benz-motorsport/index.html?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=226&cHash=a8a1a651a0 BHW
He's gone, here is the full statement from Mercedes: After more than 22 years as Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, Daimler AG Vice President Norbert Haug will conclude his career at the end of 2012. His contract will come to an end by mutual agreement with the Board of Management. Preparations for the forthcoming season continue as planned. Norbert Haug has led the Motorsport division of Mercedes-Benz since 1 October 1990. In that time, Mercedes-Benz and its partners won six Formula One world championship titles and took 87 Formula One victories. In the DTM, Mercedes teams won a total of 32 titles under Haugs leadership. Since the first title win in 1992, Mercedes-Benz has won 54% of all DTM races and about 60% of all DTM titles (drivers/manufacturers/teams). During that period of time Mercedes-Benz has competed in 986 races in total (Formula One, Champ Car, GT, Group C, Formula 3) under Haugs leadership and won 439 of them (45.4%). Norbert Haug was the face of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for more than 20 years. For me, he put his stamp on a whole era and, as a highlight, he was responsible for the successful comeback of the Silver Arrows to Formula One. In the name of the Board of Management and the whole motorsport family, I would like to thank Norbert for his extraordinary commitment to the three-pointed star, said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars and CEO of Daimler AG. I would like to thank the best car company in the world for more than 22 years, which never had a single moment without passion for me. I particularly wish to thank the Board for the trust and freedom they have always given me with all my activities. Since 1991, we had tremendous achievements and wins, for which I want to thank all of my colleagues. Unfortunately, with one victory in 2012 since founding our own Formula One works team in 2010, we couldnt fulfil our own expectations. However, we have taken the right steps to be successful in the future. Our team and our drivers will do everything to achieve these goals, said Norbert Haug
They already had Lauda as an advisor or something like that. It was in the early 90s, you know, not the best years for the Scuderia. Todt got rid of him in 1995 after another of his rants. They started to go up from then on. A coincidence, of course, but after his advising services at Ferrari and his stint at Jaguar, Lauda´s hability as a F1 team manager still has to be proven.
