Norbert Haug said he is proud Mercedes has reached the top of formula one in a short space of time and with a small budget. The German carmaker's works team is often lumped together with F1's other grandees including Ferrari and McLaren, but Haug insists the Brackley based outfit is in fact "a small team, with a small budget".
Mercedes' competition boss, who on Sunday collected the winning constructors' trophy on the Shanghai podium, also said some of the team's rivals - undoubtedly Red Bull - "took five years to win". "We have done it in two and a quarter," the German told the RTL broadcaster. "That's not bad at all. And there are other teams that still have not made it."
So is Mercedes now a contender for the world championship, despite Haug's earlier protestations that the team needs a few more campaigns under its belt for that? "It is too early to make a prediction," he told Auto Motor und Sport. "I hope so, but so far we have seen three different winners in three races."
The newest of those winners is Nico Rosberg, who along with Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve are the only sons of F1 drivers to have also gone on to win grands prix. It is a good omen for Rosberg that both Hill and Villeneuve also won titles.
Rosberg's former Williams teammate, Alex Wurz, has high praise. "As a teammate (in 2007) he made my life difficult because he was such a fantastic qualifying driver. In the race it was then always okay. But for this (race win) he deserves praise," Wurz told the Austrian ORF broadcaster, "because he did everything after his pole position also sensationally."
But in Bahrain, there could be another winner, triple world champion Niki Lauda remarked. "I have never before seen F1 as interesting as this," said the Austrian legend. "Every race we see another winner." (GMM)
Haug: "Mercedes is in fact a small team with a small budget"
- Published on 16 Apr 2012 14:27
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
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Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
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1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
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12 - Jun 14
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Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
Driver profile
- Team -
- Points -
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- Country DE
- Date of b. Jun 27 1985 (41)
- Place of b. Wiesbaden, DE
- Weight 71 kg
- Length 1.78 m
4 members have this team as their favourite
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Team profile
- Team name Mercedes
- Base Brackley, Germany
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Nico Rosberg 4
- Nico Rosberg 6
- Michael Schumacher 7
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 9
- Lewis Hamilton 10
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli 12
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