How Mercedes Plans To Conquer F1 All Over Again

Changes to F1’s regulations offer Mercedes’ rivals a great opportunity, but the dominant title-winning team isn’t resting on its laurels.

- Ben Anderson

It’s important that after winning three championships you’re not losing the plot. Winning races shouldn’t be taken for granted. We’re not taking it for granted. It could well be someone else has a quick car. We just need to do a better job and rely on our strengths.”

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff sounded this quiet note of caution as Formula 1’s dominant force unveiled the car it hopes will resolutely maintain the status quo in 2017.

Mercedes has developed a habit of sounding overcautious heading into a fresh F1 campaign, despite a growing and overwhelming body of evidence to suggest it could afford to be bullish. Such proclamations risk sounding arrogant, so public caution is understandable. But no sooner had the W08 broken cover, with Lewis Hamilton turning blustery laps of Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit ahead of its official launch, before F1 experts – Autosport Technical Expert Gary Anderson included – were marvelling at the wonders of its aerodynamic detailing.

Throw in the fact that Mercedes will mate this marvellous chassis to a class-leading V6 hybrid engine that is expected to be another “unprecedented” step forward, according to its leading customer Force India, and the rest of the grid should be well and truly quaking in their boots.