Here's a laugh:
According to German "news" source Bild, Ze Germans have suddenly decided, after Malaysia's 1, 2 for McLaren, that it should be the German national anthem that plays, instead of the British one when the "silver arrows" win.
Apparently this is backed by Hans-Joachim Stuck and some German fans who think that because the engine of the car is branded "Mercedes" (designed and built by Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines Ltd - a British company based in Northampton, owned by DaimlerChrysler), and one or two of the sponsors, are German; this should be reflected upon victory.
Quite why this is only an issue now, after a twelve year relationship between the two companies - including 45 wins, after which the British anthem was played - is slightly confusing.
It is also confusing as to why the fact that both McLaren and the actual company that makes the engines are British should be ignored, especially as no other constructor in F1 with an independent engine supplier would have, or ever has had, the anthem of that supplier played in preference to that of the constructor.
Bringing in sponsors as a determining factor for deciding nationality of a team is, aside from being hugely unconventional, deeply flawed in that no one country has a "majority" of sponsors - 5 each for the UK, Japan and Germany, (4 for the USA and Switzerland, 2 for Spain and 1 for China and Holland), although Vodaphone, McLaren's title sponsor is British, so that should really count for double or something. Alternatively, if you count the sponsors in terms of "importance" in building the car - composites experts being more "important" than a hotel- Japan comes out on top.
Is this some sort of joke that the Germans are having?
Is Hans-Joachim Stuck a complete idiot? ("that is really difficult to understand: The heart of the silver arrow comes from Swabia. The German value work makes the car only so strong. Thus also our national anthem must be played!")
Are they just jealous that they won't hear their anthem now that Schumi (the good one) isn't around?
If they want to claim that "Mercedes" winning engines are German, are they equally taking the blame for all the ones that have gone "pop" too?