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Haug wants Mercedes stability

Norbert Haug wants continuity and patience at Mercedes, including the retention of Michael Schumacher © Sutton Images

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Mercedes director of motorsport Norbert Haug says the team needs stability to start challenging for race wins in the coming seasons.

Mercedes is yet to win a grand prix since taking over Brawn GP at the end of 2009, despite the outfit in its previous guise having won both the drivers' and constuctors' championships in the previous season. With the team having strengthened its technical department with the acquisitions of Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis in recent weeks, Haug said the process to move towards the front would be a slow one.

"We are going to keep establishing our new Silver Arrows works team in Formula One," he told Eurosport Deutschland. "Our development and our learning will bring us upwards gradually, step by step, from the fourth power at the moment to third, second and ultimately to position number one. This can be achieved only through years of hard and focused work. The current world champions (Red Bull) took five years before their first success."

Haug also said that the current drivers were integral to the team, and that both Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg would win races when the team is able to challenge at the front despite Schumacher's current deal running out at the end of 2012.

"We are completely satisfied with them, as once we give our drivers a winning car, they will win with it. Michael is a motivator through and through. He has a plan just as he had one at Ferrari, where he fought for five years for his first (Ferrari) title. He has the same bite as ever and remains one of the very best drivers in the field."

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