Mercedes to Follow in BMW's Footsteps in F1?

Interesting how they refer to BMW's immediate success with Sauber as a big reason:

Mercedes-Benz is poised to buy the McLaren team, according to German reports.

It is claimed that the German carmaker is set to up its existing stake in the Woking based squad from forty to up to seventy or eighty per cent, with Mercedes' Norbert Haug to possibly take over from Ron Dennis at the helm.

Auto Bild Motorsport wrote that the Stuttgart-based manufacturer is dissatisfied with the silver collaboration's lack of championship success since 1999, despite consistently delivering perhaps the biggest budget in pit lane.

The report also said that Mercedes, whose rumoured buyout would cost an estimated $380 million, is encouraged by BMW's progress since its rival German carmaker took over Sauber.


A spokesman was quoted as saying that it is 'no secret' that parent company DaimlerChrysler could up its stake in McLaren.

"Whether this will happen," the Mercedes-Benz spokesman added, "has not been decided."

Major German newspaper Bild, however, quoted a source at the carmaker as saying: "Soon we will take over McLaren completely."

Levy01 - 8/16/2006 1:40:21 PM

0 Boost

Never Lead, Always Follow

PlanoA4 - 8/16/2006 1:50:55 PM

+3 Boost

Well, I am not too sure you can call BMW tied for 5th as a "success". At 26 points for the entire season they trail 1st place by 123 points.

Read em and weep but with jut one podium finish this season, BMW in F1 is not a success story just quite yet.

12th in the Bahrain Grand Prix
7th in the Malaysian Grand Prix
4th in the Australian Grand Prix
12th in the San Marino Grand Prix
8th in the European Grand Prix
8th in the Spanish Grand Prix
7th in the Monaco Grand Prix
7th in the British Grand Prix
7th in the Canadian Grand Prix
DNF in the United States Grand Prix
8th in the French Grand Prix
DNF in the German Grand Prix
3rd in the Hungarian Grand Prix

If you avg all of the races they rank below the middle of the pack of those that finished.

M53R - 8/16/2006 3:48:01 PM

+1 Boost

Plano, I call this a success since its only their 1st year with sauber. Ive watched most of the F1 grand pris and BMW-sauber always preform well. They took 3rd place in their last race and thats quit a success. BTW a;; teams had to change their engines from 3.0l V10s to 2.4l V8s which was against BMW since they became V10 specialists. BMW-SAUBER ROCKS!!!!!

PlanoA4 - 8/16/2006 3:54:48 PM

+2 Boost

logical- Audi enter Lemans first year and dominated from then on, Audi entered Rally and dominated in the first year. It is entirely possible, and Sauber has also been around for a long time in F1.

PlanoA4 - 8/16/2006 4:04:43 PM

+2 Boost

M53R- I know that F1 is extremely difficult, and to expect to be on top the first year is a long shot at best. However the article incorrectly stated, that they were immediately successful.

Yes the showed up and ran mid pack, and finished most of the races. But they really have had only two "moments" in the spotlight (3rd and 4th). So to boast about it, is a premature statement.

Actually Mercedes is in a better spot because they have invested in a proven competitor with McLaren. They bought a dog “that can hunt” so to speak.

But to be fair only time will tell.

BM3W - 8/16/2006 5:26:40 PM

+1 Boost

This will be a good move for Mercedes-Benz. This will allow them to do some of things they may have wanted to in F1. But felt they couldn't because of their partnership with McLaren.

Jovi - 8/16/2006 6:53:52 PM

+1 Boost

Plano, you have no logic.

Sauber was not as successful in 2005 as BMW-sauber is today. And Audi was not successful in its first Lemans outing... (1999, BMW won).

Don't make comments unless you know the facts.

PlanoA4 - 8/17/2006 10:29:05 AM

+1 Boost

Jovi- Yes BMW won in 1999 the 24 Hours of Lemans. But Audi's first full season in ALMS it won. Audi enetered the R8 well after the season was underway in 1999. I was referring to ALMS, but I was not that specific, so my error in that part. So we both are right.

PlanoA4 - 8/17/2006 10:33:02 AM

+1 Boost

Jovi - Sauber entered Formula One for the first time in 1993. It had a successful start, with driver JJ Lehto finishing in fifth position in Sauber's debut race. However, it was not a sign of times to come. Sauber was never able to consistently challenge the bigger teams. Its most successful season was 2001 when it finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship. The rest of the time, however, Sauber cars were more likely to be closer to the back of the field than the front.

07mcs - 8/17/2006 1:13:44 PM

+1 Boost

And did you know that sauber used mercedes engines before they went to Maclaren.

Jovi - 8/19/2006 4:56:31 AM

+1 Boost

Plano...

sorry for the harsh comments, ha ha...

byhsu, did you know that Sauber-MB also won Le Mans in 1989, and in 1992, Michael Schumacher was a test driver for the C11 Sauber-MB, and then Peter Sauber discovered him, and used him as a test driver...

ha ha...

facts, facts, facts...