Ross Brawn believes Mercedes are “within striking distance” of the championship leaders.
He expects to cut their deficit with an upgrade package at next week’s European Grand Prix:
Looking ahead to Valencia, the circuit is similar to Montreal in many ways with long straights connected by slow corners which should suit our car. We have an upgrade package which will be another good step in our development towards competing at the front of the field.
With the new points system this year, we are still within striking distance of the Championship leaders and we will continue with our efforts to become more competitive.
We have a number of the basics right and the difference between winning and losing is small. We need to close that difference.
Ross Brawn
Michael Schumacher, meanwhile, will be driving on the Valencia Street Track for the first time:
Valencia is a track which I have never raced on before so it will be another new experience for me but one which I am very much looking forward to.
I always have been quite good in adapting quickly to new situations and I strongly expect that to be the case in Valencia. I like going into new experiences like this and having detailed discussions with my engineers about the challenge.
Michael Schumacher
Schumacher almost made his F1 comeback for Ferrari at the venue last year following Felipe Massa’s crash at the Hungaroring.
BasCB (@bascb)
18th June 2010, 12:17
I am really looking forward to Mercedes striking at the front. But i don’t expect them to do too much.
Rosberg seemed to be pretty confident the car is up to something, if only they can get Qualli right (http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/06/16/nico-rosberg-you-need-to-wait-and-see-where-we-are-in-valencia/ ).
Interesting, will Schumi hit the wall in a rooky mistake at Valencia (maybe even hit it to allow his teammate to take a win :-o )? He is right, about being known for quickly adapting, but we still have to see evidence of that skill in his driving this year.
Dianna
19th June 2010, 13:24
Please remember all MSC critics,
You only have to watch Michael driving in the comfort of your armchair or standing at leisure in the grandstands.Michael on the other hand is risking his life to give you a 7 x times World Champion in action,something you may never see again by any driver.You could at least be civil about the man.Sport is not all about winners,there has to be losers also.Also Michael is a living legend not a dead legend.
Prisoner Monkeys
18th June 2010, 12:46
I’m glad someone is …
HG (@hg)
18th June 2010, 16:42
well, because when he bets button to the first corner for 5th place again, he knows enough that it is his :)
Mike
21st June 2010, 7:04
Haha! yeah that’s right.
Do you think we may see suicidal grabs for position at the start. In drivers having do or die moments?
Icthyes (@icthyes)
18th June 2010, 13:37
Brawn presumably means the same race where Ferrari will bring their upgrade, the one before McLaren bring theirs.
I think they should stick with it though.
Prisoner Monkeys
18th June 2010, 14:20
Nothing stopping them from having their own upgrade. They just haven’t made any noise about it. And if Ferrari’s Valencia kit is anything like their F-duct, all it’s going to do for them is put them on-par with Williams and Sauber …
Charles Carroll
18th June 2010, 14:59
Mercedes, at least for the balance of this year, will have to worry more about Renault and Force India than the top runners. Sometimes it seems as though the Mercedes logo is simply hiding a Chrysler emblem.
Dr. Gonzo
18th June 2010, 16:07
Chrysler is now a sister company to Ferrari :)
Apostolos
18th June 2010, 16:33
I believe he wanted to say Daimler
Charles Carroll
18th June 2010, 17:10
No, I meant Chrysler. I had an exceptionally terrible Chrysler a few years back. The very definition of a lemon. At one time, Daimler owned them, which failed to make Chrysler any less terrible than they were before.
At times this year, Mercedes seems to be still afflicted with that outstanding logo of mediocrity.
Adam Tate
19th June 2010, 7:08
The only thing Daimler did for Chrysler was make them worse. Trust me, as an American I remember what Chrysler was like before Daimler and since the so called “merger of equals” and it’s sloppy divorce, poor Chrysler has suffered.
rantsonf1
18th June 2010, 18:04
I am beginning to think that either Mercedes has some insane updates coming to Valencia and Silverstone, or Brawn has been hitting the pipe pretty hard.
If they cannot get better results ( closer to RBR and Mclaren) they need to switch to next year’s car.
Also, They need to clarify who came up with idiotic idea of putting Schumacher on the supersofts for almost half of the race and fire that person. Even if that person is Schumacher. That was just pure stupid. Even Schumacher couldn’t make those tyres last.
BasCB (@bascb)
18th June 2010, 19:28
The main reason was, he had a puncture from the Kubica fight, so they had to give him a new set of tyres much earlier than planned.
And it was his last set, so a change to other tyres was not an option. Hardly a stragegy or tactical mistake, just rough driving.
Feri
19th June 2010, 22:04
The puncture was one thing, but he used two other sets of medium tyres for less than half race distance. If they didn’t have more tyres, IMO that was a strategical error as well.
BasCB
20th June 2010, 7:58
It was his second set of mediums that got punctured after only little laps running.
Charles Carroll
18th June 2010, 20:30
I hear you, but I also see that even though there is tremendous experience in this team, they’re still “new” in a certain sense. They’re not new from scratch, but they’re new to each other and as a team. Yes, they should be further along than the other new teams because of their experience and personnel, but at the same time I didn’t expect them to be challenging for the title either.
If they stay committed, they should challenge for the title next year, and only remain competitive for third or fourth this year.
DGR-F1
21st June 2010, 13:20
So why is Rosberg able to make it all work more often then? I imagine he has an even bigger struggle than Old Schuey, since not only is he adapting to a new team, new car and new methodology, he also has to bathe in the MSC mythology too….
Considering you have Brawn’s Ferrari-esque strategies and his leadership of the OWG, Mercedes wisdom learnt from McLaren, Old Schueys abilities with the cars on the track and the desire to defend their Championship status, you really have to question why the team as a whole has not done much much better so far this year.
I have a feeling that before long they will find Lotus and HRT chasing their tail….
trev
22nd June 2010, 11:06
No your wrong it’s still the same team
but with the mercedes name on it
Todfod
18th June 2010, 23:29
Its the upgrade competition at Valencia – Ferrari vs. Mercedes.
No matter who brings the better upgrade, the Ferrari drivers will still hammer Schumacher, no matter how ‘adaptable’ that he is.
wasiF1
19th June 2010, 2:29
What Mercedes needs to do is to take two steps forward other then one by just bringing upgrade. I don’t think they just have the car to fight for the championship this season, neither I think they will win any races without luck.
It will be a good test for Schumacher to see ho0w he react on a track he never raced before.
HounslowBusGarage (@hounslowbusgarage)
20th June 2010, 19:10
Can I make sure I understand the tyre supply rules.
They each have 7 sets of tyres for the weekend, don’t they? And is it that they have to hand back one set after each practice session . . . meaning they should have four sets for Qualifying and the race?
If that’s right, do they get to select whether they have four Prime and three Option sets, or five and two or six and one etc?
Adrian
20th June 2010, 21:16
Is this going to be like the upgrades that Brawn GP kept putting on the BGP001 that made it no faster compared to its rivals…???