21 wins is not Mercedes' target - Wolff
- Published on 19 May 2019 14:10
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- By: Coilin Higgins
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has insisted that the team are not targeting a perfect 21 wins from 21 races this season after their record-breaking start to this season.
Out of the five races so far, Mercedes has managed a perfect five one-two finishes, giving them a 96 point advantage over rivals Ferrari in the constructors' championship.
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Mercedes is looking to continue the dominant form next weekend in Monaco after a dominant display during last weekend's race in Spain, where Valtteri Bottas out-qualified teammate Lewis Hamilton by almost seven-tenths of a second.
Hamilton took the lead at the start and ultimately the win, but Ferrari was once again left behind in fourth and fifth.
"First of all, I think you need to stay humble and keep both feet on the ground, " Wolff told Autosport.
“We’ve had five fantastic performances now and five one-twos but we don’t take it for granted. “It’s not just saying it, it’s really the mindset that we have."
Mercedes came incredibly close to winning all 21 races during the 2016 season, only missing out on the Spanish and Malaysian Grands Prix.
In Spain Hamilton and then teammate Nico Rosberg collided, while Hamilton's engine failure in Sepang, handing the victories to Red Bull on both occasions.
Wolff plays down potential for Monaco domination
Mercedes will be looking to continue its impressive start to the season during next weekend's race in Monaco, but Wolff is skeptical due to the team struggling around the streets of the Principality in recent years.
“The next two weeks are going to be a tremendous challenge for us. We’ve not had the performance in Monaco in the last years," Wolff added.
"Remember how strong Ricciardo was last year in the Red Bull? They were in a league of their own. We need to take one step at a time. The next race weekend looks challenging on paper.”
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Replies (6)
Login to replyajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Somehow we've managed to make Mercedes look like the bad guys, even though they clearly care about the sport as a whole, the show itself. They allow their drivers to race. I don't remember this public shaming when Ferrari essentially ruined F1 for half a decade in the 2000's with Schumacher and the embarrassing Reubens Barrichello.
f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
You have to respect what they've done over the last few years.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Yeah, Merc' ain't really a villain. Wolff I no longer respect the way I used to, but he is no worse than, Horner, Steiner or so. They are just the team version of the one punch man: dominating without even really trying while nobody else truly challenge them. I admit I'd like someone else to win, but props to the team as a whole, they are doubtless the pinnacle of F1.
Pistonhead
Posts: 556
They are class and Hamilton's been saying it for 2 seasons now, it would be a lot better if the competitors were closer. The answer though is surely to do with budgets, nobody can compete with the top three teams on development. If you look at the top three teams, you have to simply take your hat off and say they are the best - RBR (almost) and Ferrari have equivalent spending power and are not on the same level. Anyways, long way to go yet.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
"It's uh it's simple.. We uh... We kill the budgets!"
RogerF1
Posts: 501
Spending levels are eye wateringly crazy. Over $1Bn in 2018 just across the 3 top teams and just under 1000 heads per team not even counting the engine production. Can it really be sane to have 1000 people employed to race two cars? Best of the rest, McL are broadly half these numbers, for me this is where the competitive racing starts and where the budgets should stop. Innovation yes, but not at any cost. As a long, long time F1 fan I want to see racing, don’t really care who that is as. Perhaps without a budget cap some teams might walk away, knowing they will never win and never afford to catch up.