Maybe he is aming to be the oldest WDC ever.

And even after that, two more years of his current contract!!

(well except the podium places....)

that would be in 2015 (in schumacher's case)

Imagine it. 15 x WDC

If anyone could do it, its Schumacher.

With Nico the supporting cast for his next 8 WDC's.

he was being sarcastic

Ltes not get ahead of ourself.

If he is to win anything it is HIGHLY car dependent. Besides, if he should win one more WDC's and then have a rather average season preceding that what is to say that he will not just think that point is proven and sail off into the sunset?

he must have been high while he said beyond 2012. Good for him anyway

the sad thing is, the guy who he answered to, was not, and we are talking about an member from 01,

It's easy to talk, but after taking a beating or two, even Schumacher will realise that his time has gone by. Maybe not in 2010, but certainly in 2012. I know that Mario Andretti won IndyCar races at the tender age of 53 (!) but those cars were all about natural feel, and less about neck strain and muscular power (but for the steering then )

That Mercedes have resurrected the story regarding the supposed paint-scraping incident at the Eifelrennen in June 1934 is very disappointing.

That story is completely untrue and is just a myth. It is a cock and bull story that wound up Neubauer's book, Manner, Frauen und Motoren: Die Erinnerungen des Mercedes – Rennleiters Alfred Neubauer (or as the English language edition was entitled, Speed Was My Life) and -- just as his similar story about the 1933 GP di Tripoli in the same book -- was never seriously questioned and accepted at face value by simpletons in the form of journalists who simply parroted what Neubauer wrote over and over and over and over, until it was simply accepted as being true. The reality is that the W25 machines were never white in the first place and certainly not at the Eifel race -- at any time.

What makes this all the more disappointing is that in July 2007 at its Classic Center in Fellbach, Mercedes held a symposium on this very topic. I was among those invited to attend and review the "evidence." What became very clear was that the probability of any of the W25 machines being white that weekend was so remote as to wonder how the story got started in the first place. Lest there be any mistake, we used materials provided by Mercedes themselves in coming to this conclusion. Subsequent discussions and yet more materials being brought to the table for examination only reinforces the conclusion that the cars were never white nor was any paint scraped that weekend to enable the cars to race the next day. The whole story is a myth, it simply did not happen.

All the current being given to this topic is simply a publicity stunt and one that Mercedes knows is based upon a falsehood.

There has been much research expended on this myth, far more than it probably deserves, but the evidence clearly shows that it did not happen. Why Mercedes decided to do something this knuckleheaded is beyond me.

I found this pictures on the web, todays presentation of the Mercedes in Kuala Lumpur.









Looks like a dummy, but has the same diffuser as the 2009 Brawn.

thats not Brawns nose

Any of the Mercedes brass there?

Seem strange if there wasn't.

I can see why Schumacher and Rosberg wouldn't be, given they've got to start testing in Europe on Monday.

But you'd think at least Nick Fry or Brawn or Haug would show up to thank the sponsor!

It reminds me of the early earo package Honda were testing in 2008.

That nose will certainly resemble the 2010 car more than the livery launch model did.

Ugh, taking a closer look at it, the colours are disgusting.

Looks like a Toyota or a Force India.

yes its Toyota with Brawn's sidepods WTF

Actually, you're dead right!

And it has the 2008 Honda airbox hole too.

That kind of hexagonal number.

So must be a bastardised 2008 test hack now being used for show.

Don't forget Brawn only built three cars last year so they are at a premium, even for show.

It's the RA-108 (2008 test chassis), with the 2009 diffusor.

Yes it is, the nose was first tested on the RA-108 interims Honda car! But it is somekind of showcar the sidepods are pre-09..

Yep, RodrigoL was on the money.

OMG, didnt know that

Its must be a record for a WCC winning team!

Amazing, winning WDC and WCC with only 3 chassis! Simply amazing!

Funny Mercedes would dare put their name and logo on that thing.. shattered earth dreams

Here's the car in question, from November 2008.

Doesn't have the 2009 rear wing, clearly.

http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/120082

Although I completely understand why they did it, it just seems wrong. That car was fully paid by AND raced as a Honda. It had the badge and everything. And now Merc jots it's own badge on there.

Again, I understand why they did it (and in their position would probably have done the same), but it seems wrong. Somehow.

Imagine seeing an S2000 with a merc badge on. Something just doesn't add up about that image and that's exactly what my current feelings are about what I'm witnessing...

Pretty common practice.

I saw a "BMW" sitting in Nice airport which was pretty clearly a 2004 Sauber.

Even show cars with the monocoque built from wood costs quite a lot of cash.

I don't get this argument.
It's like buying a house, but not being allowed to use the kitchen because it was designed and built by the previous owner....Where's the logic?
Besides, it's not about the car on display (which is a dysfunctional mockup of bits and pieces anyway), it's about the the brands on the car.
The larger public cannot even tell the difference in shape between F1 cars. Hell even fans have trouble distighuishing between cars.

Hence the importance of not Frankensteinizing them for dubious reasons

The best thing that could happen to that car is having the glorious three pointed star on its nose.

I'm surprised it isn't being used as a flower pot in Ross Brawn's garden.

Which part you didnt understand?
Merc PAID and BROUGHT all the ASSETS (which include all cars, all factory etc) and also ALL LIABILITIES ....which include SALARY for all employees, All the Debt to paid off, all the sponsors to be looked after.... and BRAWN saved the team...he had only money for 1 year....So MERC BROUGHT it from BRAWN!
Now do you get it?

Yet it also happens with road cars. F.i. Chevrolet/Daewoo.

Dunno lol... I think even the horrible cars should be preserved. IMO there's no real good excuse for this..

It could have went like: 'We Mercedes GP could have taken a dump on some of the unworthy Honda bits we bought by slapping our livery on it, and present it to you as our new 2010 contender.. but we thought this full scale painting of our actual 2010 car would be more appropriate.'

..would meet all the objectives without any destructive nonsense, hehe... I won't lose any sleep over it though.

You need to get past that.

Furthermore the event that just took place in Kuala Lumpur was not a Merc GP team launch. It was the Petronas Malaysian GP EVENT launch, organized by the Sepang circuit people. Petronas is sponsoring the F1 event like they do every year and so the launch took place at their premises and the car was a gesture from Petronas

Im beginning to think button went to McLaren because of the colour scheme of the 2010 merc car lol (Going by his fashion sense does anyone have any clue if schumy picked the design )

There´s a sneak preview pic in the new AMuS today (print version). It shows the nose of the new Mercedes, which is as low as last year but quite a lot smaller.

Could you make a scan or photo?

IMO the new livery is a million times better than the white/dayglo green-yellow with red sponsor text of last years Brawn!

Hm, interesting. I thought they too would go with the Red Bull nose.

There are two aspects to the Redbull nose.
1 - It is high, and
2 - the cross section has a "V" shape, with the raised sides to meet regulated dimensions, which allows for more space between the front wheels and the nose section.

Surely, they will adopt 2, as they have been seen testing it during last year.
1, I'm not so sure. Brawn had a distinctly low nose section last year, and It could well be one of the strengths of their aero concept.

Another thing that was rumored was "interesting shapes around the leading edge of the side pods" . Things that were difficult to get right to pass crash tests" as this person said.
We'll see on Monday.

Edit:
Also, the high nose was not unique to RedBull, as Toyota and Force India also sported high noses las year. The one thing that was unique to RedBull was the "V" shaped cross section.

Wow, that car shown in Kuala Lumpur is ugly... oO the camera angles don't help either :x

Great post and thanks for the info

Honestly i kinda liked the brawn car last year lol

Last year car was neutral for me. about this one... Well, i start to think it is simply awful.

http://www.bild.de/BILD/sport/motorsport/f...atz-fahrer.html

Bild reports Nick signed to Mercedes as a reserve driver. Official announcement expected tomorrow.

The expression"if it ain't broke, don't fix it" springs to mind.

yes please bring out your digital camera, thanks

Sorry if these have been put on here already.

BBC Interviews with Ross Brawn, Michael Schumacher, and Nico Rosberg

Holy balls. I sure got crucified for this one.... Oh well, it was my opinion and I stand by it...



+1 000 000 000

Mercedes GP Petronas Motorhome (first pic, Cheste - Valencia):

http://esporte.ig.com.br/grandepremio/form...ao+9381146.html