The Rumours Thread

[Mazda Baiter]

How about a thread for rumours that you have heard that aren't already in the media?

Yesterday, I heard a rumour that McLaren will not be called McLaren Mercedes from next year. Apparently they will use another name from the Daimler Chrysler stable.

[dougc]

AMG?

[joewilliams]

Mercedes rebadging customer engines?

[Mazda Baiter]

It was more along the lines of Chrysler, ready for when there is a US GP in 2012.

[Brian McGee]

With Schumi back in F1, and JV trying to get back in, rummour has it that Damon Hill has been seen getting seats made at Williams.

[Mazda Baiter]

Brian McGee said:

With Schumi back in F1, and JV trying to get back in, rummour has it that Damon Hill has been seen getting seats made at Williams.

He could use the one from 2 years ago when he tested/Demo'd for them.

[Muzzer]

Mazda Baiter said:

It was more along the lines of Chrysler, ready for when there is a US GP in 2012.

Why would Mercedes want to badge their engines as Chrysler when they're no longer partners?

[Marc W]

Exactly, Daimler Chrysler hasn't existed for a few years now as they demerged. Chrysler are now in a joint venture with Fiat instead.

[Mazda Baiter]

Muzzer said:

Mazda Baiter said:

It was more along the lines of Chrysler, ready for when there is a US GP in 2012.

Why would Mercedes want to badge their engines as Chrysler when they're no longer partners?

Rumour disproven already. Cool. I didn't think there was much in it for Merc.

[Steamer]

Brian McGee said:

.. rummour has it that Damon Hill has been seen getting seats made at Williams.

I heard it was a Chestfield Wingback with matching footstool.

[CAD Monkey]

You can never break the chain!

[Steamer]

CAD Monkey said:

You can never break the chain!

...Just be thankful its not the Tusk thread.

[revrange]

I would wonder if Mclaren will drop Mercedes as from next year they will be fully a customer team. I imiagine they still get mercedes money now, but not next year and Mc will have to pay for the engine, so Mclaren will want to sell that space to raise more funds, maybe extending the new AON deal?

[Racefan_uk]

McLaren had (have?) a five year deal for Mercedes engine. Mercedes aren't going to ask them to rebadge anything while they're a front running team... wouldn't look great them having a non-branded Merc team beating the factory, or Ferrari, would it?

[Mazda Baiter]

It doesn't look very good for the factory team being beaten by McLaren and Force India though, does it?

[Scuffers]

Mazda Baiter said:

It doesn't look very good for the factory team being beaten by McLaren and Force India though, does it?

I would suggest that's a problem for Braun not McLaren/Force India

[Captain Flashman]

i can't work out why Ferrari doesn’t rebadge its customer engines Maserati or Alfa? i mean its free marketing for the other fiat brands

[Scuffers]

Captain Flashman said:

i can't work out why Ferrari doesn’t rebadge its customer engines Maserati or Alfa? i mean its free marketing for the other fiat brands

some pride at Ferrari?

they may all be the same group now, but that does not mean they like each other....

[Gun]

They mentioned a few times in the Le Mans coverage that BMW will be back in the DTM championship and the P1 class at Le Mans in the next few years after ditching their F1 programme.

[Captain Flashman]

pride and capitalism are contradictory idioms