© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says the team hopes to have a competitive car in 2022, but “it is not a given with the new regulations”.
At the Mercedes W13 launch, team boss Toto Wolff said the new Formula 1 regulations make it difficult to predict where the team will be in the 2022 pecking order.
“The hopes are that we have a competitive car, it is not a given with the new regulations,” the Austrian said.
“People are saying are we going to win another title and we don’t know if we are even in the hunt for another title.
“What I know is this team has always has been able, even if circumstances were difficult like at the beginning of last year, to just dig ourselves out of a disadvantage situation.
“Wherever the car is I’m sure we’ll be doing everything to competitive. So my hope is that the car goes fast, and that Lewis and George are happy with how it drives.
“That would be a good starting point.”
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Wolff adds that Mercedes can’t rely on previous successes as it approaches the challenges of the new season.
“Obviously there was a shadow with the Drivers’ Championship, with Lewis’ championship and the Abu Dhabi situation, but let’s look into the future.
“The mindset of the team has been the same over the past few years, the points card goes back to zero.
“There is nothing from the previous year that will make you win the current championship. No credits to be taken, and no sense of entitlement.
“Every year we are sceptical as to whether we have done a good enough job, and that’s the right mentality.”
With the radical regulation changes in 2022, Wolff says Mercedes had to rely on their expertise and knowhow when they embarked on a journey to create the new car.
“You can only rely on your own skills, on your organisation, on your ethos and your values.
“It will be interesting to see whether we missed out on some innovation or whether we have been the ones who lead the charge in terms of performance.
“Whichever is the case, our success will be defined by how we adapt to the situation and develop our understanding of the car throughout the season.
“2022 is a year full of opportunities and risk, it’s two sides of the same high-stakes coin, which is why we love sport so much,” concluded Mercedes’ team boss.
