2010 Formula 1 Season Build-Up

[quote=Wouter Melissen;915377]Autosport reports Button is very close on signing a deal with McLaren.[/quote]
So, at McLaren next year, Button [I]nº1[/I] and Hamilton [I]nº2[/I]?
[quote=LTSmash;915387]Why exactly have Merc chosen Brawn over McLaren as the flagship team? McLaren have some historical consistency while Brawn just have Ross and a first season WCC/WDC thanks to new and unclear rules.[/quote]
Probably because they'll be able to do whatever they want with Brawn, which they couldn't with McLaren. And the team isn't bvad either.

Brawn will cost them a fraction of McLaren's price.

[quote=Wouter Melissen;915385]Haug already has a German. I though Mercedes were also available outside of Germany.[/quote]

AFAIK they want two of them.

[quote=LTSmash;915387]Why exactly have Merc chosen Brawn over McLaren as the flagship team? McLaren have some historical consistency while Brawn just have Ross and a first season WCC/WDC thanks to new and unclear rules.[/quote]

McLaren was willing to gain once again a bit of independence from MB, Brawn was surely cheaper and easier to handle too (as Ferrer pointed out).

Officially its because McLaren want to compete with Mercedes in the road car market.

Unofficially, take your pick: FIA targeting Dennis; Spiegate; Liegate; McLaren group unwilling to sell them more of the team; Questions over management capability; McLaren want to compete with Mercedes in the road car market.

[quote=fpv_gtho;915396]Officially its because McLaren want to compete with Mercedes in the road car market.

Unofficially, take your pick: FIA targeting Dennis; Spiegate; Liegate; McLaren group unwilling to sell them more of the team; Questions over management capability; McLaren want to compete with Mercedes in the road car market.[/quote]
Or maybe all of the above...

is the value of the McLaren shares that MB will sell higher than the Brawn acquisition cost?

[quote=henk4;915398]is the value of the McLaren shares that MB will sell higher than the Brawn acquisition cost?[/quote]

I'd suppose yes, also because we are talking about the same percentage in both teams, 40-ish %.
Even if Brawn just won both titles, I doubt they are valued as much as McLaren.

[quote=LeonOfTheDead;915402]I'd suppose yes, also because we are talking about the same percentage in both teams, 40-ish %.
Even if Brawn just won both titles, I doubt they are valued as much as McLaren.[/quote]
so this is actually a good deal for MB, also financially.

[quote=LeonOfTheDead;915402]Even if Brawn just won both titles, I doubt they are valued as much as McLaren.[/quote]

I don't see it as a smart move if you are basing the investment on fundamentals (who does that anymore :rolleyes:). Brawn had a very lucky season with the diffuser controversy. If I were Merc I'd stay with McLaren because of proven consistency. The value of the investment at McLaren will be worth more because Brawn has a higher percentage of blowing up in this volatile economy. Considering, also, that teams with out lines of cash are dropping like flies. Brawn is junk McLaren is AAA.

Brawn has higher return potential but McLaren is the safer bet.

[quote=henk4;915404]so this is actually a good deal for MB, also financially.[/quote]

Yes unless Brawn can't come up with a good car now that he actually focused on racing for a season. McLaren and Ferrari have suffered this year as a result of their title chase from a season earlier. Having done nothing but field two cars in 2008, Honda/Brawn had a full season to prepare for the new regulations.

[quote=LTSmash;915405]I don't see it as a smart move if you are basing the investment on fundamentals (who does that anymore :rolleyes:). Brawn had a very lucky season with the diffuser controversy. If I were Merc I'd stay with McLaren because of proven consistency. The value of the investment at McLaren will be worth more because Brawn has a higher percentage of blowing up in this volatile economy. Considering, also, that teams with out lines of cash are dropping like flies. Brawn is junk McLaren is AAA.

Brawn has higher return potential but McLaren is the safer bet.[/quote]
I doubt Daimler values their investment purely from a financial point of view only. As fpv_gtho points put there other reasons that have made Daimler decided to leave McLaren and invest in Brawn.

Also they'll get greater exposure now since the team will be a full fledged Mercedes-Benz one now, instead of a McLaren Mercedes.

[quote=Wouter Melissen;915406]Yes unless Brawn can't come up with a good car now that he actually focused on racing for a season. McLaren and Ferrari have suffered this year as a result of their title chase from a season earlier. Having done nothing but field two cars in 2008, Honda/Brawn had a full season to prepare for the new regulations.[/quote]
Apparently the relative lack of performance mid-season was because since the car was so good they started developping the 2010 car. Then at the end they made a final push with the 2009 car just to secure both titles.

[quote=Ferrer;915408]Apparently the relative lack of performance mid-season was because since the car was so good they started developping the 2010 car. Then at the end they made a final push with the 2009 car just to secure both titles.[/quote]

Ah, I always thought that was down to the poor ability of its championship leading driver ...

So who are the Brawn drivers going to be? Jenson (possibly) joins Hamilton & Co. Rubinho with Williams. All the decent drivers are taken; Kimi won't go to Brawn over compensation. What's the investment for Merc worth if the drivers are shit?

Rosberg and perhaps Heidfeld.