Why Mercedes fear Ferrari and Red Bull at every race in 2020
Why Mercedes fear Ferrari and Red Bull at every race in 2020
Mercedes technical director James Allison says the Formula 1 champions fear both Red Bull and Ferrari for 2020 and are unsure if any of next season's 22 grands prix will be a sure bet.
The Silver Arrows are basking in the glory of a record-breaking sixth-straight drivers' and constructors' title double in 2019, with Lewis Hamilton having also collected his sixth individual crown.
After a stunning start to the 2019 campaign, which saw Mercedes take five straight one-twos to begin the year, both Ferrari and Red Bull closed the gap over the campaign.
And with stable regulations for 2020, the prospects of a genuine three-pronged fight for supremacy has fans excited, and the top dogs of F1 concerned.
"We don't just have to fear Ferrari," Allison told Auto Motor und Sport. "Red Bull is also an extremely strong team.
"We don't go into a single race with the confidence that we will win.
"It is clear to us that between today and Melbourne 2020 we have to make our car a lot faster if we want to have a chance against them. But this task is not meant to be easy. It is the ultimate challenge."
Mercedes managed to maintain their success on race day in the second half of 2019 despite Ferrari suddenly gaining a huge advantage in qualifying, which saw them take six pole positions immediately after the summer break.
However, Allison says the Silver Arrows cannot rest on their laurels in the hope that greater race pace will again come their way in 2020.
"Speed in the race is an important factor, because you can put pressure on your opponent to make mistakes," he said.
"If you have a faster car in your opponent's gearbox, he doesn't have many good options.
"The advantage of the faster car in the race gives you many strategic advantages.
"Of course, we would be happier if we had racing speed and could start from pole position. That must be our goal next year."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Red Bull to lose F1 MVP as true cost of Horner saga hits
- 50 minutes ago
F1 pundit reveals the thing about Wolff that ANNOYS Horner
- 1 hour ago
Newey exit DATE revealed as Red Bull F1 chief set to leave
- 2 hours ago
F1 News Today: Red Bull star set to QUIT team as F1 legend reveals flood of death threats
- Today 06:27
Audi agree STAR driver contract as Mercedes driver tipped for new F1 seat THIS season - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Ferrari show off new-look drivers following HUGE announcement
- Yesterday 22:57
Related news
Newey exit DATE revealed as Red Bull F1 chief set to leave
Ferrari show off new-look drivers following HUGE announcement
Sky Sports F1 pundit dumbfounded by key Ferrari decision
Mercedes star tipped to replace struggling driver THIS season
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860