Before I start, Arknor, this isn't a dig or an attempt to start a fight, it is a genuine serious discussion point.
I have been having a think about teams and their plans, and while I understand some, a couple have jumped out at me as being in a bit of no mans land in terms of direction, namely Mercedes and Torro Rosso.
Toro Rosso first. What is the purpose of that team? Or more importantly, what is the purpose of Red Bull owning that team? They have branded it as a 'junior' team, with the aim of developing drivers to promote them into the top team. However, since Vettel moved up, they have sat rather stagnent. They have run the same drivers for a few seasons, with it not really looking like that will change next year, and the promising young drivers who are looking to be put into the RBR team are being tried out else where (Riccardo at HRT, for example). I don't really get what they are trying to achieve, and they have ended up being an average team stuck in the midfield with average drivers and very little looking to change.
And then Mercedes. I heard that Rosberg has signed for a few more years, and according to Arknor Schumacher could be there for another couple too.
Now, when Mercedes bought Brawn and hired Schumacher, it was for 1 of 2 reasons (possibly both). Either they thought he had the skill in him to win races and get podiums, or they employed him to help develop the Mercedes into a race winning car with his years of development. Now, its 2 years in and the Mercedes team haven't moved. They are firmly stuck in the 'best of the rest' position and haven't closed the gap on the teams in front, and only have the occasional podium to show for it. Yes they had issue with budget and staffing after they inherited the Brawn team situation. Which actually brings me onto another point, where is Brawn? The Brawn/Schumacher partnership has proven success under their belt, but Merc don't seem to be making the most of it.
Basically, in my opinion after 2 years the Schumacher Experiment hasn't worked. He hasn't won any races and he hasn't developed the Mercedes into a winning car. Signing him for another couple of years strikes me as a bit of 'saving face' from Mercedes. They don't want to drop him and admit it was a bad idea, so instead they are just holding out until he retires.
But then, on the flip side, Rosberg hasn't exactly worked out either. He has out performed Schumacher, but not by much, but at the end of the day, he has hardly dragged the team up the grid either. And neither driver has staked a claim to be team number 1.
Basically, I don't get why Merc are sticking with the lineup they currently have. There are young guns lined up showing their promise (Di Resta, plus a fleet of Merc backed drivers in other formulas). They should drop one or the other. Either admit that the Schumacher Experiment didn't work, drop him, and give Roseberg a young team mate to lead, or if Schumacher is looking to be a valuable asset over the coming years, replace Rosberg with someone else to provide some new excitement into the team.
So in summary, what is the point in Red Bull still owning Toro Rosso, and why are Merc persisting with the Schumacher Experiment when it clearly isn't working?
