MERCEDES’ F1 BUSINESS MODEL EXPLAINED
Until recently it was received wisdom that Formula 1 teams owned by car manufacturers tend to be unsuccessful. Ask anyone who worked for Jaguar, Toyota, Honda and BMW back in the noughties.
Big company systems and structures do not sit well in F1. Agility, preparedness to take risks and the relentless pursuit of high performance don’t come naturally. They also lack patience, which is why all four of the above mentioned were here today, gone tomorrow.
Interesting that two of the teams, when freed from their corporate shackles, proceeded to win world championships. It took Red Bull five years, but Brawn GP did it in one season post-Honda. Which brings us neatly to Mercedes-Benz, the company which acquired Brawn a decade ago, and is now Formula 1’s dominant team.
The on-track success is there, of course – witness the
