Toto Wolff says Mercedes’ record-breaking success doesn’t purchase the team ‘any credit’ for the challenges which will arrive with Formula 1 “upside-down” principles from 2021.
This year Mercedes became the first team to win six consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ world names, with matched Ferrari’s previous album from 2000 to 2004 last year.
It also supposed Mercedes stayed on top through a second regulation change, having maintained its dominance through the aerodynamic shake-up of 2017 and when the front-wing rules changed for 2019.
However, the enormous overhaul such as changes on the technical side, for 2021 of F1, mean Mercedes will face its biggest test.
“2021 will be an entirely new challenge since the regs are being placed upside down,” said Wolff within an end-of-season Mercedes review.
What is today concerning aero won’t exist in 2021.
And I feel it’s an opportunity for a team to do a decent job and establish that we’re able to go through a regulatory change and come out on top as we’ve done previously.
But surely there’s absolutely no sense of entitlement. Last year’s records don’t buy us any charge for future periods to come.
“It is very exciting for us and I personally really look forward to having 2021 coming.”
The kind of all world champion Lewis Hamilton has played a key role in Mercedes’ unprecedented success but Wolff’s leadership is also a vital factor.