Mercedes has enjoyed being at the top of Formula 1 for the best part of the last decade.
Seven wins in a row is a testament to the team’s superiority in nearly every department.
However, while it is easy for any team to get carried away in such a situation, a change in the rules may mean that this dominance is cut short.
It is true that Mercedes has managed to find a way past these obstacles in the past, but team boss Toto Wolff is wary that the gap will soon close.
He suggested that Red Bull and Aston Martin could prove to be worthy competitors this season.
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He also spoke about motivation being a key element and how it is important for everyone to be level-headed at this early stage.
“Motivating is one of the most difficult aspects,” he said.
“It is very dangerous to have the attitude that you are the winner. You have to counteract this. You have to motivate yourself again, set goals that everyone understands and sees as a new motivation for themselves,” Wolff said.
Mercedes has had to make considerable changes to its flooring which has given the team quite a few headaches. Its DAS system, after all, cannot be continued from 2021.
“The change to the underfloor, from which a part is cut, is decisive in the technique.
“This has forced a rethink of the whole concept. Therefore, we cannot rule out Red Bull Racing or Aston Martin coming up with a better solution,” Wolff said.
The team’s head of engineering, James Allison, also believes that things could get a lot tighter at the top and it could see the end of Mercedes’ outright dominance.
It is worth noting that the budget cap which has come into place will also add to the strength of others, who were often blown away owing to the bigger purse that Mercedes has had at its disposal.