Details have emerged this week of Mercedes F1’s future strategy, designed to make the most of new driver signing Lewis Hamilton and the arrival in 2014 of ex-McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe.
The first piece of surprising news is that, from next season, Nico Rosberg will be out and Hamilton will be partnered by Jenson Button. This remarkable move is said to have been prompted by another shock Mercedes signing, Martin Whitmarsh, who will replace Ross Brawn as team principal in 2014. Although officially still working for McLaren, it is Whitmarsh who is said to have encouraged Mercedes towards another of their unexpected signings, Ron Dennis, who will be employed to turn up to some of the races next seasons and hang around in the Merc pits looking like he hasn’t really got a job to do.
Of course, it’s not just personnel that will change for Mercedes in 2014. Reports are already coming in that next year’s car will feature tweaks to the grey livery designed to make it ‘more silvery’ and that the green trimmings will be replaced with a new colour known only by its German name, ‘recked rot’.
Finally, to save weight, the team name will be shorted by two letters so that next season they will be known as McEdes.
