Haug makes Mercedes his favorite in 2014
Norbert Haug, former director of Mercedes Motorsport, retired since the end of 2012, makes the star firm his favorite for the 2014 title. According to him, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have the best chances of victory.
The former director of Mercedes Motorsport and iconic figure in Formula 1, Norbert Haug, ventured into making predictions at the beginning of the year 2014. Naturally, the German, who withdrew from all activities in the discipline in December 2012, believes that Mercedes has a good chance of winning the title this year: “I would not be surprised if the title goes to Stuttgart this year. The initial plan was to fight for the title in 2014,” he told the German media SID News Agency.
To confirm his statements, Haug takes the example of the Red Bull team, which took five seasons to achieve its first victory, and six for its first championship. Yet, Mercedes has been involved in Formula 1 since 2010 with the purchase of the Brawn GP team. 2014 will therefore mark its fifth year in the discipline as a full-fledged team. Enough to give the German some ideas: « The Mercedes team has now been present for five years. And Red Bull took five years to achieve its first victory. »
According to him, Mercedes has prepared very well for the arrival of the new regulations that came into effect this year, especially regarding the power unit: The new engine, which was introduced this season, represents a step-by-step work over the past five years as well.
But despite this optimism, the German wants to remain cautious: « In recent seasons, we haven’t seen the favorites emerge from the very first tests or races. So far, it is impossible to establish an overall hierarchy. We must therefore be cautious. »
Norbert Haug now works for the German company Paravan Technology Group, which specializes in automotive equipment for people with disabilities.
