55 replies to this topic

[purpleturtle]

Bob Bell resigned from Merc in December 2013, and is leaving the company in November 2014 (now). http://www1.skysport...-leave-the-team

 

He is a first rate technical director and success seems to follow him where he goes. Bell was Renault's Technical Director during the championship winning 2005 and 2006 seasons. This year's Merc success must be greatly attributed to him as he was Technical Director during the design of the W05.

 

His fate may be linked with Ross Brawn, Ross Brawn hired him and they both resigned at similar times just before Merc's dominance, and yet this year's success is largely attributable to these two men. However, when Mercedes brought Paddy Lowe in above Bob Bell, this was in effect a demotion for Bob Bell.

 

Most rumours I've read have said he is off to Ferrari, but I've also read some that say he is off to McLaren. Both are desperate for some high-level insight into the W05 dominance. 

http://adamcooperf1....e-ferrari-role/

 

The most recent rumour I've seen from today:

 

‏@realF1Spy

BREAKING: BOB BELL is close to returning to the @F1 scene! Sources link him to @McLarenF1 @adamcooperF1 @alo_oficial @bgarloff @NobleF1

https://twitter.com/...966587564060672

 

Anyways, I think he is hot property at the moment and will stay in F1, the question is, with whom?

Edited by purpleturtle, 25 November 2014 - 07:25.

[aguri]

If he went to McLaren it would be to replace Sam Michael, or potentially Tim Goss?

[purpleturtle]

If he went to McLaren it would be to replace Sam Michael, or potentially Tim Goss?

 

Maybe. Or perhaps replicate the top heavy structure of Mercedes (Aldo Costa, Geoff Willis, Paddy Lowe) in which case Goss would stay.

[teejay]

If you can get them, stack them up then sort the order.

[Logiso]

I remember the reason they got rid of Whitmarsh was because they believed having a TP was outdated, so yeah making some sort of Mercedes like hierarchy would be the logical conclusion at McLaren which would fit with Bob Bell going there.

[loki0420]

Hopefully McLaren. Seems like recent Merc tactics of picking every TD available at the time is paying off so worth a try.

[Timstr11]

If he went to McLaren it would be to replace Sam Michael, or potentially Tim Goss?

 

I don't think Bob Bell would be interested in a Sporting role. The Sporting Director role does not have much to do wiith the engineering side of the business.

Sam Michael accepted a Sporting role because I guess at Williams he realized he's not a good Technical director.

[purpleturtle]

Bob Bell recently won motorsport engineer of the year award http://www.professio...inners_2014.php

 

I think this highlight's his importance.

Edited by purpleturtle, 26 November 2014 - 05:20.

[hankalis]

Hopefully McLaren. Seems like recent Merc tactics of picking every TD available at the time is paying off so worth a try.

Sorry to pick on you (you are not the only one promoting this idea): what evidence is there that Mercedes success is a consequence of them hiring all those top managers? Being top heavy the way they have been (it is less true now) is certainly not considered a good organisational practice in most businesses.

I have the feeling it is just a case of people witnessing a big success (Mercedes) and retrospectively labeling all what they've done over the recent period as "obviously the right thing to do"

[MikeMM]

Sorry to pick on you (you are not the only one promoting this idea): what evidence is there that Mercedes success is a consequence of them hiring all those top managers? Being top heavy the way they have been (it is less true now) is certainly not considered a good organisational practice in most businesses.

I have the feeling it is just a case of people witnessing a big success (Mercedes) and retrospectively labeling all what they've done over the recent period as "obviously the right thing to do"

For one thing they weakened their rivals.

[loki0420]

Sorry to pick on you (you are not the only one promoting this idea): what evidence is there that Mercedes success is a consequence of them hiring all those top managers? Being top heavy the way they have been (it is less true now) is certainly not considered a good organisational practice in most businesses.

I have the feeling it is just a case of people witnessing a big success (Mercedes) and retrospectively labeling all what they've done over the recent period as "obviously the right thing to do"

i am not promoting the idea. I was half serious in the second sentence. But it's kinda predictable that you should look closely into the strategy that got one certain team to that level. That is not equal to 'do everything the same way'.

[MaxisOne]

Sorry to pick on you (you are not the only one promoting this idea): what evidence is there that Mercedes success is a consequence of them hiring all those top managers? Being top heavy the way they have been (it is less true now) is certainly not considered a good organisational practice in most businesses.

I have the feeling it is just a case of people witnessing a big success (Mercedes) and retrospectively labeling all what they've done over the recent period as "obviously the right thing to do"

 

Two words ... People Management.

 

If its one thing that i think Ross excels at is the fact that he is very to the point, egos are checked at the door and above all he is respected by his peers. He has a very good talent of utilizing peoples strengths and placing them in the correct jobs in an organization.

 

It was indeed top heavy in certain respects but there was no overlap of who was responsible for what. Everyone had an important task to perform that supported the whole organization and i would venture to guess that the structure actually worked as pretty much after all the major elements were put in place progress was made.

 

The W04 was not a bad drive last year and that was bettered with the W05. Something must have worked and you cant sum it all up on the engine.

[purpleturtle]

Don't have an autosport subscription, any new info in the new autosport feature?

Edited by purpleturtle, 05 December 2014 - 01:59.

[Imateria]

Don't have an autosport subscription, any new info in the new autosport feature?

None, it's more of a retrospective on his contribution to this years Merc.

 

I can't help feeling that if they were going to push Ross out the door regardless, it might have been a better idea to promote Bell to the TP role instead, he did an excellent job in running Renault after Crash Gate hit the team with a vengeance back in 09.

[purpleturtle]

Move along - bought the article - nothing added that we didn't already know.

[purpleturtle]

None, it's more of a retrospective on his contribution to this years Merc.

 

I can't help feeling that if they were going to push Ross out the door regardless, it might have been a better idea to promote Bell to the TP role instead, he did an excellent job in running Renault after Crash Gate hit the team with a vengeance back in 09.

 

Yep. I think a lot of the current Mercedes organisation stems back to when McLaren rejected a proposed buyout by Mercedes and started competing with Mercedes road cars. It was personal.

 

I believe Mercedes retaliated by buying their own team and then head-hunting the two key people accountable for McLaren's performance - Paddy Lowe and Lewis Hamilton.

 

They had to slot a Mercedes figurehead in, and the ex-McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe in somewhere. Toto (the Mercedes figurehead) took Brawn's position, Paddy Lowe took Bob Bell's. Doesn't mean Brawn or Bell are any less talented (in fact, they're arguably more), just means they didn't fit in anywhere.

Edited by purpleturtle, 05 December 2014 - 02:19.

[hiddenpace]

Bell was important to Mercedes' success. You can be sure the other top teams will pay a premium to pick his brain on the process

[ViMaMo]

 I think there are offers from both sides Ferrari and McLaren. Maybe more money from Ferrari ? At Ferrari he would replace Fry right?

Where would they fit him in McLaren?

[RedRabbit]

Much as I love Ferrari, as a top engineer, McLaren would look a much better prospect to work for right now. The Ferrari ship is in a political turmoil and sinking fast

[Mc_Silver]

I think he'll join McLaren. Let's see where he goes. 

[Newbrray]

Aren't there rumours he's joining Ferrari in the spring ?

[aditya-now]

Aren't there rumours he's joining Ferrari in the spring ?

 

That's what I also heard - I thought Bell/Ferrari was a done deal?

 

Any news?

[maverick69]

Ferrari never managed to pull it off.... But with the amount of investment going on at McLaren he may be tempted. But he's not short of a few quid and projects to get stuck in to - so who knows........

[blacky]

Rumour was the he starts working in Maranello at March, but who knows, only Gazzetta...

[Owen]

Wikipedia says he's at Ferrari for 2015. Done deal.

[Newbrray]

Wikipedia says he's at Ferrari for 2015. Done deal.

 

Hardly the bastion of truth is it?

 

just a tad better than twitter & Dailymail 

[PedroR]

I have a dude..
Who is the chasis boss in McLaren actually?

[Seanspeed]

Much as I love Ferrari, as a top engineer, McLaren would look a much better prospect to work for right now. The Ferrari ship is in a political turmoil and sinking fast

I bet things are far more dramatic in people's minds than in reality with regards to the 'turmoil' at Ferrari.

[Cyanide]

I bet things are far more dramatic in people's minds than in reality with regards to the 'turmoil' at Ferrari.

 

Yeah, that's probably why two team principals have been sacked in one year, the star driver left and the president got pushed out. 

 

No turmoil at all. Calm waters all the way. 

[RedOne]

I bet things are far more dramatic in people's minds than in reality with regards to the 'turmoil' at Ferrari.

Maybe it's the opposite and things are even more dramatic then in people's minds

[Brazzers]

Yeah, that's probably why two team principals have been sacked in one year, the star driver left and the president got pushed out. 

 

No turmoil at all. Calm waters all the way. 

 

LOL 

 

Smooth sailing at Ferrari 

[purpleturtle]

Lorenzo De Luca ‏@LorenzoDL83  1h1 hour ago

some rumors on #Bell says it has already signed with #Ferrari, others that he cancelled the #Ferrari deal at the last minute. #Speedweek

 

https://twitter.com/LorenzoDL83

[purpleturtle]

Manor! Did not see this coming.

[tkulla]

Manor! Did not see this coming.

Odd. I wonder why the big teams didn't want him? Or maybe he's just ready to work with a small team again.

[Kristian]

Maybe its a precursor to working with a big team on customer cars? Something fishy, for sure. 

[MustangSally]

Does this mean Renault are buying Manor? At least two reports said the plan devised by Remy Taffin involved Bob Bell.

 

[Wingcommander]

This is starting to look like a career path for ex TDs. Pat Symonds worked at Marussia for a couple of years before joining Williams. 

[Strontiumdog]

Is it possible that Renault might be coming back in with Manor but applying the same model / sharing scheme "MercedesAMG" currentlyemplys (50/40/10 split with Toto Wolff / Niki Lauda) with Bell being the "Toto / Lauda" in this case ?

[SealTheDiffuser]

i sthis a McLaren, Renault or Ferrari move?

[DESCHAIN]

This is starting to look like a career path for ex TDs. Pat Symonds worked at Marussia for a couple of years before joining Williams. 

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

i sthis a McLaren, Renault or Ferrari move?

 

I don't think it's Ferrari,

 

But it could be that Manor is heading into a path to become theMcLaren Honda "B-team", a la Haas. They allready have McLaren ties.

 

Or Renault starting basically from scratch.

[MustangSally]

Or it could be that this is a just a zero-hours, minimum wage job for the summer.

 

There were indeed rumours that Marussia was being funded by Sports Direct. If all their team strip goes bobbly after one wash, we'll know for sure.

[Mohican]

The announcement refers to 2015 only. Sounds like a holding position while waiting for something else.

[teejay]

Or they didn't want to give too much away in terms of long term stuff.

 

Bell is way too good for Manor as it sits.. so something is coming.

[FullThrottleF1]

Or they didn't want to give too much away in terms of long term stuff.

 

Bell is way too good for Manor as it sits.. so something is coming.

I doubt it. It is probably just a 1 year advisory position. He will move to whatever team Renault has bought in 2016.

[teejay]

Unless they have bought Manor?

[Owen]

It will be interesting to see if McLaren side with Manor or ART GP or neither. The outcome of that will give us a clearer picture of what's happening with Bob Bell surely.

[FullThrottleF1]

Unless they have bought Manor?

I can't believe that they would buy the smallest team on the grid, no debt or not.

[Pete_f1]

Interesting. 

 

Methinks there is more than that Irish man's money and the FOM money at play here. I'm sure the team would happily have a bigger team put money into them in whatever form it took.

[kraduk]

more flexible that way i guess

[GrumpyYoungMan]

Ferrari makes more sense no? as they are running the Ferrari PU and gearbox?