Our posters in general are conveying guarded optimism and our few usual suspects are intimating we will see minimal advancement, if any. I’m reading most F1 pundits opinions and feel we are moving forward. Unfortunately the late debut of our car makes any premature guesses a non-entity. It’s back to the waiting game.

Eddie Jordan has a take on things that expresses our up-coming season.  He starts with “Mercedes are like Ferrari, another team not living up to expectations.” “The car has been off the pace last year- nowhere near the top three, but clear of the midfield.

Meanwhile they have been completing a major restructuring of the staff in an attempt to close the gap and justify Mercedes’ involvement. This included a significant recruitment of Geoff Willis and Aldo Costa. Add them to team boss Ross Brawn and their actual technical director Bob Bell – who joined from Renault – and Mercedes now have four technical directors from other teams all trying to work together to improve their form.

Can it work? Is it too many cooks? We’ll have to wait and see.

Driver-wise Mercedes renewed Nico’s contract long-term, but what of Michael, whose deal runs out at the end of 2012, when he will be nearly 44?

Winning an eighth title was always his aspiration when he returned to F1 in 2010. His form has improved through 2011 and he will decide whether he thinks there is another championship in him.  “Don’t be surprised if he goes into team management in the future.”

Meet our boss- Ross Brawn with a few Q&A’s

What is F1’s biggest challenge ?

F1’s biggest challenge is to stay relevant for all our stakeholders, our fans and the media. We have to ensure that the sport is shaped for the future by making it highly entertaining, economically viable for manufacturers and teams, and with as much relevance as possible for our society on a wider scale.

Does F1need road-car manufactures?

I believe it does. Manufacturers of the caliber of Mercedes Benz and Ferrari have been the core of F1 for many years and along with the other manufacturers who are currently involved or have been involved in the past, they add to the strength of F1 and are a great asset to the sport.

The best piece of advice I’ve given a driver is…go fast, don’t crash! It’s the best way to get across the finish line.

The best piece of advice I’ve received is…treat others as you want to be treated yourself. That’s what my father always told me.

Wheeler-dealer or techie ?

Both! I’m a wheeler-dealer techie. You have to be both when you are in a senior position in an F1 team. You have to find compromises and concessions.

What was your first paid job?

I was a labourer on a building site during my summer holidays at school.

What time do you set your alarm clock for?

 6:15 am, when I’m at home.

So there you have a little trivia along with some of the smoke and mirrors that lead up to F1 seasons. Your guess is as good as anyone’s as to where we will be at seasons end. I’m personally hoping we end up moving forward and we debut a sleek, fast, and good-looking car.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon
• Tweet