Mercedes need time

The Mercedes Grand Prix team need time to develop into one of the top teams on the Formula One grid.

With seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg in the team, many would have assumed that Mercedes would have been a lot more competitive than they have been since taking over the Brawn GP in 2010.

The previous year the Brawn GP team powered by Mercedes won the constructors World championship, while Jenson Button took the F1 drivers title.

But since then it's been a frustrating time for the team with just three podium finishes, all coming last season when Rosberg finished third in Malaysia, China and Britain.

But while Mercedes frustrations are likely to grow over the remainder of the 2011 season their motorsport boss appears to have taken a patient approach to competing with Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.

'Compared to Red Bull, it took five years to build up that system and the first race was won by Sebastian Vettel in a Toro Rosso, which is a similar car, with all respect and credit to them, it has taken time. We need to accept that it needs building up time. Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug told Autosport Magazine.

'I'm not speaking about two years from now, but a longer period of time. If you achieve it in less than five years without throwing money at it, which teams did in the past, then you are really very special.'

He concluded: 'I think the most important point is that we are focussed, have a long road ahead of us and we are working very hard.'