[wdb]

Originally Posted by NickyC

Yeah, that is one thing I honestly never hear (maybe I'm listening wrong). I don't think it was any coincidence that after having Schumi for a couple years, all of a sudden the car turns into an absolute beast.

When you think of all that could have been (and what more importantly wouldn't have happened), if Schumi had just stayed for one more year.

They still would have not been winning races. Schuey was too old. Sorry fans but he had lost a step by the time he came back into F1 for Mercedes. Also it's very, very telling to me that the team did not offer him a position outside of the race car. Instead they brought in possibly the greatest ever at the job, Niki Lauda. As for Nico, he's a follower not a leader; he would have gone about as fast as Schuey, just like he had been doing. It took Hamilton coming on the team to bring Nico's performance level up.

Originally Posted by EdM5

That was because of the regs changes - Merc's engine builders mastered the hybrid engine formula better than anyone else.

Yes that is quite true for the past two years. However before then, in 2013 when Red Bull was still dominant, Mercedes made a huge improvement when Lauda and Hamilton came on board. They started getting front row positions immediately and improved their finishing positions as the year went on. They even won a couple.

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Exactly !
But I'm curious to see this next season with the new regulations..

Me too. I'm really hoping for at least two teams duking it out for wins, possibly as many as four. Hamilton seems to have a good nose for where to be, so I think Merc will still be competitive. I'm psyched about McLaren in 2018 as well. At Red Bull so much depends on Adrian Newey and he is only giving them partial attention. But they can never be counted out. Ferrari I believe is in disarray; I hope they come out hot but will not be surprised if they remain second-tier.

As for drivers, y'all are pretty much looking in the wrong direction. Instead of going back to the well with Weber and Button the teams need to get some young blood into the seats. Van Doorne shone last year in his brief appearance. Wehrlein has some rough edges but I like him long term. Among the more experienced folks I think Hulk and Chico would prove their true worth in a top tier car.