Jan.12 (GMM) Norbert Haug has hit back at internal criticism about the decision to ramp up Mercedes-Benz's formula one foray.

While fellow carmakers including Honda, BMW and Toyota have pulled out completely, and Renault scales back its involvement, Daimler-owned Mercedes opted instead to buy the Brawn team and then bring Michael Schumacher out of retirement.

After the Brawn buyout, a member of Daimler's supervisory board and Corporate Works Council Erich Klemm said Mercedes had missed a "chance to completely leave the costly and controversial circus (F1)".

Then, after Schumacher was signed for 2010 for EUR7 million, another supervisory board member Uwe Werner said the decision was "hard to justify" amid the automobile world's current crisis.

But Mercedes' competition boss Haug told the SID news agency: "Both statements do not take into account that with its own team, Daimler will next year be spending about 60 per cent less compared to the peak in 2005.

"With our new approach, within five years our costs have more than halved," the German reiterated.

Haug also revealed that, unlike at McLaren where Mercedes contributed half of the cost of driver salaries, the marque is in fact not spending a cent on the retainers paid this season to Schumacher and teammate Nico Rosberg.

"In our formula one team, the drivers' salary comes only from our sponsor partners and the commercial rights holder FOM, not from Mercedes-Benz," he insisted.

Haug said Mercedes' annual F1 budget is a two-digit million euro sum.

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version