‘No panic, no knee-jerk reaction’ promise Mercedes in open letter to fans

44 comments on “‘No panic, no knee-jerk reaction’ promise Mercedes in open letter to fans”

1. 

   koshi
   12th March 2023, 0:57

   ‘No panic, no knee-jerk reaction’ promise Mercedes in a panicked open letter to fans.
2. 

   Elvira
   12th March 2023, 1:54

   Button’s a nice chap like Kimi so perhaps they won’t push him into the wall that often.
3. 

   NS Biker (@rekibsn)
   12th March 2023, 3:21

   Bringing in new drivers from different backgrounds will certainly improve the viewer numbers come race-day. That is always good for the series.
   Just too bad we never got to see Jeff Gordon in an F1 car. You wanted fan-base and better coverage in the USA, that would certainly have done the trick.
   For Kimi and Button, if available, I for one will tune in.
   Interesting that Button appreciates that “rubbing is racing”.
4. 

   Todfod (@todfod)
   12th March 2023, 3:25

   I think this next season or two will be a real test of Toto’s leadership skills. Ross brawn set up Mercedes in a fantastic way before handing over the keys to Toto and Niki, but whether Mercedes can bounce back from this setback will be a true test of Toto’s ability at the helm.

   To be fair, it took Horner 8 seasons to get Red bull back to the top… But something tells me Toto wouldn’t be that patient. He’d want to get there within 2 to 3 seasons max. I’m sure he’ll play the political game like a beast, but if he can get the engineering team back at it’s best remains to be seen.
5. 

   Tommy C (@tommy-c)
   12th March 2023, 3:51

   F1’s history is littered with examples of constructors stealing a march on the competition. I get the sense that the obsession with close racing at the front has detracted from one of the fundamentals of the sport: that the sport is a technological competition as much as or perhaps moreso than on-track competition between drivers. I fear this aspect has been and will continue to be diminished by the Netflix generation which perhaps approaches the sport from a more conventional athlete vs athlete perspective of sport. I hope I’m wrong but the endless criticism rather than recognition of teams doing well gives me the feeling we’re heading closer and closer to a spec series…
   1. 

      NS Biker (@rekibsn)
      12th March 2023, 4:51

      In a strange twist, the concept of the Cost Cap initially scared me into thinking that all teams would wind up the same. What we are seeing now is likely more diversity, not less, driven by the technical and development issues running into the Cost Cap spending limitation. Effectively putting more rather than less emphasis on innovation and clever efficient thinking. Hopefully driver skill will work into this as well.
      A parallel could be taken from a Red Bull vs Ferrari and their different approach. Someone (I don’t know who it was) said that at Red Bull they practiced pit stops to get a target time and when that was consistently hit, job done and off to the pub. It didn’t take all that long and everyone left fresh and happy.
      The recent boast from Ferrari was that they did 2,000 pit stop practices over the winter. Wonder how that went.?
      Will be fascinating to see how it plays out this season.
      1. 

         drmouse (@drmouse)
         12th March 2023, 19:26

         Tbh, I think at the top of the field the main thing it does is lock in any advantage gained by a team, in a very similar way to the engine development restrictions at the start of the hybrid era.

         It has always been the case that, at the lower end of the field, the teams didn’t have the resources to bring many updates to the car through the season. A flawed concept, either by bad design or because a competitor had found a significantly better design or loophole, was locked in for the season because it was too expensive to improve by much. We’re now seeing similar towards the upper end of the table. The budget cap is stopping the other top teams from, effectively, spending their way out of trouble, just as the engine development restrictions did.
   2. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      12th March 2023, 5:30

      @tommy-c While F1 could be heading closer to a spec series, I doubt it’ll ever become one per se.
6. 

   Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
   12th March 2023, 4:40

   Lewis enters the factory hands behind his back.
   “I want to say something about this W14. Now listen!
   Shows hands holding an implement of destruction and yells through a flurry of blows, IT’S HAMMERTIME!”
7. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   12th March 2023, 5:29

   The base limit is 135m, but I don’t think F1 has a Red Bull problem.
   Yes, the cap effect will truly arise later, definitely in 2026 at the very latest, but some impact already last year & this, the 3rd year.
8. 

   Yes (@come-on-kubica)
   12th March 2023, 8:12

   You’d think the world had ended either Mercedes whining. An open letter really? Long may their pain continue.
   1. 

      moi
      12th March 2023, 10:59

      Yes, they do remind me of Hollywood actors who seem to think the world revolves around them and hangs on their every word. Like they seem to think that they are the protagonist of the story of F1, and the rest are mere extras.

      Well good for Toto & Hamilton: they have spent year after year promoting an utterly laughable narrative where they are the underdog of the story, now they finally get their wish. Lets see what happens if the ‘extras’ don’t follow their script..
   2. 

      Joe Llama
      12th March 2023, 14:07

      Open letter to their fans. What’s so wrong about this? RBR has written plenty while covering up their drivers’ and finance team’s shenanigans…
      1. 

         grat
         12th March 2023, 23:42

         It’s Mercedes. They’ve been winning, so they’re obviously evil.
9. 

   Steve (@duuxdeluxe)
   12th March 2023, 8:50

   Interesting how when Mercedes dominated for years because they had insider info about the new engine-regs, everyone claimed they did a good job and it was up to others to get on their level.
   Now Red Bull has gotten 2 titles (mind you, so far only 1 constructor) and it’s the big boohoo-show. I’m understanding more and more what Alonso meant when he said he got flack because he wasn’t British…
   1. 

      drmouse (@drmouse)
      12th March 2023, 11:50

      I’m crying with laughter at that. Hilarious!
   2. 

      Joe Llama
      12th March 2023, 14:08

      FYI, Merc and RBR are largely British teams
      1. 

         Itsmeagain (@)
         12th March 2023, 18:48

         It’s not about the nationality of the team’s (70% of the teams are british). It’s about the behavior of british media and the general bias in F1. Fans are more and more followers of drivers and not the teams. They accept more wrong behavior from teams and managers if they are part of the driver they support. Best example is red bull. Image how british media would write about them if Lewis was driving for them. Best example are the biased comments here. Before season 2022 (during testing) the sidepodless MB was according many fans here the best invention since fried air. Another: the teamorder of RB during the fourth race in 2022 was completely bashed here. MB would never do that, and not so early in the season. 2021, during the Spanish GB Valtteri got his first teamorder of 2021. I call that double standards
         1. 

            Mayrton
            13th March 2023, 9:36

            The British bias is unfitting a global sport in 2023.
   3. 

      grat
      12th March 2023, 23:43

      You’re funny. And wrong. They never had insider information, they just had a massive team of engineers working on the problem.
   4. 

      Mayrton
      13th March 2023, 9:25

      You are absolutely right. This bias is not fitting a global sport. Well at least Mercedes now admits they have been making knee-jerking reactions the previous two seasons, when stating they won’t do it anymore. Its a start.
      1. 

         drmouse (@drmouse)
         14th March 2023, 8:07

         Nowhere do they say “anymore”. All they’ve said is that they are going to approach this problem rationally. But, of course, this doesn’t fit your anti-Mercedes narrative, so carry on twisting their words beyond all recognition to suit your agenda…
         1. 

            Mayrton
            14th March 2023, 11:35

            Twisting or seeing straight through them? You can’t deny they have quite the reputation when it comes to intentionally false statements.
            1. 

               drmouse (@drmouse)
               14th March 2023, 18:33

               I can… Or at least I don’t believe they make any more “intentionally false statements” than any other F1 team, and considerably fewer than some.

               I think one issue is that most of the things you consider to be “intentionally false statements”, I don’t. You seem to have a pre-conceived notion that practically everything they say is a deception and refuse to see it as anything else.

               Personally, I have a strong dislike of RBR, Horner and Marko on particular. I find their attitudes disgusting, and believe the atmosphere of the team to be toxic (especially towards their second drivers). However, they are not the big evil, they are a team trying to do what they think is best for themselves. I could easily have fallen into an attitude towards them similar to yours towards Mercedes: there is plenty of half-evidence and ways to twist things to support an anti-RBR narrative (I know, because my wife often does it), but it wouldn’t be right and it wouldn’t be good for me.

               Btw, to your original question: I can’t deny that they have a reputation for making “intentionally false statements” among a certain, specific segment of the fan base. However, that’s very different to them generally having such a reputation, and even that’s very different from it being true.
            2. 

               Mayrton
               15th March 2023, 13:11

               I don’t agree. I feel they intentionally produce the most noise of any team. And they are the very best at it. It is so subtle from time to time that the press and audience can’t even see they are being played. I have worked in similar communications areas for a long, long time and believe me; its textbook campaigning but done at such high level of professionalism that I really would like to know who comes up with it as this person is worth a lot of money. Other teams are just childish with their remarks (I agree with your remarks on Horner, not so much on the entire teams toxicity) and out there for everyone to see (through). That might come across as even worse I guess (while it is just a soap), but Mercedes’ antics have actual impact and is therefore harmful to the nature of the competition/game. Therein lies my problem. Who cares if the Horners or Markos make a complete a.. of themselves. But it becomes an issue when it influences the game. FIA is being way too lenient towards these antics and it undermines their position. They seem to be controlled by Mercedes.
10. 

    N
    12th March 2023, 11:10

    “Interesting how when Mercedes dominated for years because they had insider info about the new engine-regs”

    They had inside info on regulations that Redbulls engine supplier (renault) lobbied for?

    I’d love to know how you know this.
    1. 

       drmouse (@drmouse)
       12th March 2023, 11:52

       It’s one of the more ridiculous conspiracy theories being spread by Hammy Haters. It’s been going around for a while now, they have no proof, but they keep mouthing of about it all the same.
       1. 

          Anonymous
          13th March 2023, 9:53

          I don’t believe the engine conspiracy, but it doesn’t matter when assessing Hamilton’s reputation. It doesn’t change how powerful the engine was or wasn’t. If someone’s looking for a hybrid era conspiracy they’d do better pointing at the relative lack of FIA attempts to weaken Mercedes, although I doubt a persuasive case could be made.

          Many F1 conspiracies result from an unexplainable golden horse shoe effect. Certain drivers and teams get on hot streaks and everything inexplicably begins to fall their way until it doesn’t. All five 21st century constructors champions fell to below p2 the year after their last constructor’s championship with the exception of Red Bull in 2014, which fell even further in 2015. The 2021 season was thrilling because the horseshoe effect helped Hamilton; in some way I think the dnf in Monza was responsible, it was his first DNF in years and signalled a change of fate. Current day Ferrari appears to have the opposite problem. If I was involved I would genuinely recommend some form of exorcism before anything else.
    2. 

       Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
       12th March 2023, 12:39

       N,

       There have been numerous debates on the hybrid rules in F1, particularly on whether Mercedes gained an unfair advantage from the rule makers. The hybrid rules were originally proposed by Renault, who pushed for a 4-cylinder concept engine. Audi and VW group also heavily lobbied for the 4-cylinder concept, making it a prerequisite for their entry into F1.

       Jean Todt, with his green agenda and ecological obsession, supported the concept. However, he faced opposition from both Ferrari and Mercedes, and his attempts to negotiate with them were unsuccessful the discussions were at an impasse. The situation changed when VW group abruptly pulled out of F1 negotiations, weakening Todt’s position. He had been playing the new manufacturers card which become obsolete.

       Norbert Haug was furious when VW withdrew from F1 discussions after participating in technical workshops. Dieter Zetsche and Luca Di Montezemolo wrote a joint letter to Jean Todt, arguing against the 4-cylinder engine concept and pointing out that it had failed to attract new manufacturers.

       Todt yielded to pressure from Ferrari and Mercedes, and the technical discussions resumed with the V6 Turbo as the development direction that represents a clean start for all the manufacturers involved. Mercedes made it clear that they would only accept the V6 Turbo formula if the hybrid technology was advanced.

       Ross Brawn provided crucial input on hybrid technology to his former Boss Jean Todt, which gave Mercedes an early advantage over their competition. This advantage was reinforced by the token system, which was in place from 2014 to 2016, allowing Mercedes to dominate F1 with no chance to the rest of the manufacturers to catch up.

       It is worth noting that Daimler owned 10% of Tesla between 2009 and 2014, and there was a technical partnership between the two groups for an electric road car for Mercedes. Additionally, Mercedes HPP engineers received additional training at Tesla after the hybrid rules had been signed off.

       All the manufacturers participated to the technical workshops, not only Mercedes. Renault were indeed behind the original draft. As for Ferrari, the lack of knowledge and naivety of both Luca Di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali led them to sign the hybrid rules which was a complete disaster and this where they were outfoxed by Mercedes who knew exactly what was going on.

       Ferrari have bought into the idea that having the best KERS system in 2009-2011 will result in them having the best hybrid PU. Mercedes electrification know how came from their mother company Daimler and its partnership with Tesla.

       Kudos for Ross Brawn who has been always a master tactician and when it comes to politics, he’s as good as anybody. Therefore, it is incorrect to suggest that Mercedes had no involvement whatsoever in the creation of the hybrid rules. While they were not responsible for the original draft of the rules, they were able to influence the final version of the rules.
       1. 

          drmouse (@drmouse)
          12th March 2023, 16:29

          Therefore, it is incorrect to suggest that Mercedes had no involvement whatsoever in the creation of the hybrid rules. While they were not responsible for the original draft of the rules, they were able to influence the final version of the rules.

          If course they had some influence, all the teams did. However, to suggest Mercedes had some special insider knowledge which nobody else did is… less than likely.

          It may be that they did a better job in influencing the rules in a direction which suited them and their available knowledge base, but that’s very different to what has been suggested by some on here and elsewhere.
          1. 

             N
             12th March 2023, 16:55

             Exactly, that was also my thoughts.

             Their comment ‘they had insider info’ was just a token throw-away baseless accusation of cheating, essentially. Merc lobbying for rules which suit them is a different issue. Like Redbull lobbying for the huge Aero changes we got in 2017 because they thought Newey would work his magic, but Merc still beat them. If Redbull started working on those 2017 regs 10 years before because they had ‘insider info’ that the rules where going to change and no one other team knew that, then it’d be a different story, but thats not the case with the hybrid engine switch, all suppliers knew years before the direction the sport was heading in
       2. 

          MichaelN
          13th March 2023, 10:18

          @tifoso1989 As @drmouse noted, all teams or potential entries had input on the rules. That’s how it was for the hybrid engines, and again how it was for the 2026 engines. The FIA and F1 have an interest in the series being interesting to manufacturers, and they by and large only care about F1 to the degree that it allows them to market themselves and their technology.

          That Mercedes showed up to those discussions better prepared and more knowledgeable is not something they should be faulted for. That’s good, and it shows the kind of leadership they had at the time. As you note, Ross Brawn is a shrewd and highly informed person (which made his clown-act as Liberty representative all the more annoying to watch). F1 is just as much a political affair as it is about engineering or driving skill. Ferrari in particular has failed big time on the political front, even if it has continued to make solid to great cars and had them driven by the likes of Alonso, Räikkönen, Vettel. I suspect everyone has been in meetings, either at school or work, where most people just nod along with the only person who prepared for a project, or who had solid ideas based on their prior experience. If Mercedes was that person, fair play to them.

          On a separate note, the engine tokens were indeed an awful idea, and thankfully the rules on them were so badly written that most of it was ditched soon enough and allowed at least some development throughout the following seasons.
11. 

    Jim from US (@jimfromus)
    12th March 2023, 22:48

    The fact that Mercedes felt the need to write an open letter speaks volumes. It lends credence to my theory that there is something going on behind the scenes at Mercedes that we do not yet have visibility yet. At the end of Drive to Survive, Toto says something to the effect of we’re going to park this car in the lobby and look at it every day to remind us of this season. And they show up to 2023, with this awful automobile, again. Who’s making the decisions on designs at Mercedes. Their fans should be told. Luckily for the rest of us, Astin Martin managed to design a car that can compete, or the entire season would be unwatchable. 2nd and 3rd will be interesting to watch.
    1. 

       MichaelN
       13th March 2023, 10:23

       @jimfromus The shared ownership of the “Mercedes” F1 team is a potential sticking point in a lot of these developments. It’s all well and good to buy into a near guaranteed dominant force, but people who can afford to buy large parts of such a company are usually also the kind of people who, in situations like the team currently faces, are convinced their solution is the only viable one. They didn’t get to where they are by being indecisive and uncertain, after all. Their fairly unique structure sets the team up for some potentially rough months of internal politicking, especially now that it seems there isn’t one single thing that they can do to turn things around (like their attempt last year, leading to the infamous TD039).
12. 

    GmP (@gmp)
    13th March 2023, 0:17

    Is it me or is there no link to the actual letter on racefans.com?
    Has anyone read what was in it? Or no Mercedes fans on this site? 😜
    1. 

       Qeki (@qeki)
       13th March 2023, 10:13

       To all our fans.

       Bahrain hurt. It hurt each one of us, who head into every season determined to fight for world championships. It hurt the team as a whole, after pouring so much hard work into a car that hasn’t met our expectations. And we know it hurt you, our fans, too. Your passion and support are so important in driving us forward – and we know that we feel the same pain.

       The situation we face right now isn’t the one that any of us wanted – but it’s the one we have. That’s the reality of it. And the simple questions are: what can we do about it, and what will we do about it?

       Fan Letter body image

       First, we won’t panic or make knee-jerk reactions. In a spotlight as fierce as F1, people are quick to point fingers, or look for scapegoats. But you know us better than that. Inside the team, we talk about having the courage to fail, the character to be accountable and the strength to see failure as an opportunity. We have been open and searingly honest about where we find ourselves. And we are working urgently and calmly to build our recovery plan, focusing on what needs to happen short term, medium term, and long term to win. We already have developments in the pipeline for the next races – and there will be more to come. But this won’t be the work of a moment; there are no silver bullets in F1.

       Second, we will keep our heads held high – and take this journey step by step, together. We are Mercedes. We know the standards we aspire to, and nobody is flinching when we look at the mountain we must climb. It won’t be easy – but where’s the value in something easy? These are the times when character is forged; the times when a team becomes greater than the sum of its parts, tackling difficult problems and conquering them. We’re together through thick and thin – from Toto, Lewis and George, to every single woman and man in the factories in Brackley and Brixworth. And we love that challenge.

       Third, we will be calling on each one of you, too, to power us to the front. Whether you’re offering criticism or support, there’s a right way to do it – and a wrong way. We want our online community to be a safe space full of healthy debate, where people treat others and are treated with respect – be they team members, Mercedes fans or rival fans. We have a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination, abuse or bullying of any kind, and will take appropriate action to any comments or posts that do not meet our guidelines. And we want your support to make that a reality throughout our community.

       We’re already hard at work on changing the course of this 2023 season. The recovery began immediately after the race – and everybody has a part to play.

       Are you ready to join us for the fight back? If not, then there are no hard feelings.

       If yes, then let’s do this.

       Share
       1. 

          Mayrton
          13th March 2023, 12:50

          I hope this isnt the real letter but creativity from your side.

          First, we won’t panic or make knee-jerk reactions. In a spotlight as fierce as F1, people are quick to point fingers, or look for scapegoats. But you know us better than that.

          They are the epiphany of pointing fingers and looking for scapegoats. Hands down the most unsportsmanlike team in F1 as shown in 2021.

          Second, we will keep our heads held high – and take this journey step by step, together. We are Mercedes.

          Really!? There has been very little holding any head high after a hint of competition following an unprecedented dominance of an entire regulatory period. I would say their heads couldnt be lower, especially in 2021.

          We want our online community to be a safe space full of healthy debate, where people treat others and are treated with respect – be they team members, Mercedes fans or rival fans. We have a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination, abuse or bullying of any kind, and will take appropriate action to any comments or posts that do not meet our guidelines.

          That is one of the most hypocritical things I have ever read in my life. While I sincerely believe this is a good guidance and I also believe it is advocated within the firm/team it is also blatantly clear their own behavior, especially in 2021, triggered this kind of behavior and has set a very very poor example. Reading stuff like this (however right the sentences are and no matter how much I support its intrinsic message) makes me feel disgusted by this team all over again. They rather should have apologized for fueling this behavior, promise it wont happen again and then present their guidelines. To come at others as if they hold the high ground now is simply hypocritical and undermines their first point. This team has got some wrong DNA in it..
          1. 

             drmouse (@drmouse)
             14th March 2023, 8:50

             And another “Mercedes are evil” post from Mayrton… *yawn*
             1. 

                Mayrton
                14th March 2023, 11:38

                I would rather see you arguing why you think I am wrong. I am sticking to ‘They rather should have apologized for fueling this behavior, promise it wont happen again and then present their guidelines. To come at others as if they hold the high ground now is simply hypocritical and undermines their first point’
             2. 

                drmouse (@drmouse)
                15th March 2023, 9:13

                I find it difficult to argue that you are wrong when I can’t even see what you mean, and even then your issues with Merc appear so deeply ingrained that it likely wouldn’t be worth the effort.

                I would love to know what you think they did to “fuel this behaviour” in 2021. The ones I saw doing so were RBR. For instance when they all-but accused Hamilton of attempted murder, watched their fans explode in a storm of hate, let it fester for days, then made a mild statement that they disagree with it without acknowledging that it was their own fan base.
             3. 

                Mayrton
                15th March 2023, 13:49

                What I mean is that Mercedes is an unsportsmanlike team which antics has no place in 2023 society or sports (the world has moved on from this old school, old empire behavior). Winning 8 titles in a row (leaving out that this achievement may or may not have been completely fairly achieved ramping up to the V6 Hybrid era) and then at the hint of any (just one car, one person, not even his team mate in the mix) competition (of which they stated in their dominant years: ‘I wish we has some’) throwing your opponent under the bus with a verbal smear campaign and then resort to physical harm on track as well (in panic) before not owning up to anything, is beyond any form of decency and clearly a very poor example for the fanbase. Fuelling this behavior is all they have been doing throughout 2021 (and continued in 2022 with again a Mercedes triggered rule change in-season) because they couldn’t stand their man being taught how to finally drive and fight for wins instead of processional cruising towards victories. The sense of entitlement triggered the worst at the team and at the nr 1 driver. Sure the RBR management delivered their part but Mercedes is just a better team at everything so also at translating PR campaigns and antics into competitive advantages using politics towards Liberty and FIA. But mostly: before Silverstone 2021 resorting to a smear campaign since you are no longer winning is something I still can’t comprehend. Imagine having won everything for years and years. I would definitely have taken the high ground and welcome a new competitor. What is he going to do? Break your record? Fat chance. There was no need to panic or become the backstabber. Cracks were already showing before at Hamilton when he lost to Nico. To some extent I can understand that since you are in it to win it as an athlete. But in 2021, driver and team at tally 7 and then still not having any maturity and be mentally blown away so easily that one conducts this kind of behavior. Sure they were all smiling during 2014-2020 but their true face and character was clearly exposed in 2021. Poor George.
             4. 

                drmouse (@drmouse)
                19th March 2023, 9:45

                Again, a long, rambling diatribe of hatred against Mercedes with no significant foundation I can see.

                I’ll leave you to stew in it, and hope you can get over it, as you will feel much better if you do.
    2. 

       Qeki (@qeki)
       13th March 2023, 10:14

       @gmp
13. 

    Mayrton
    13th March 2023, 12:36

    The Financial Times article indicates the newspaper hasnt got knowledge of F1 history and seems to have fallen for the populists pr from some team that just happens to be on the back foot right now. F1 has always been this way and it is widely known that at the start of a regulatory period differences are always bigger and they subsequently become less over time. That is inherently connected to innovation and providing regulatory frameworks.

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