"We are getting attacks on every front" - Wolff aware Mercedes dominance unpopular

Mercedes

"We are getting attacks on every front" - Wolff aware Mercedes dominance unpopular

Mercedes 'not making friends' with continued run of success

Ian Parkes

Sunday 2 August 2020 13:23

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff claims his team is being attacked on every front and "not making a lot of new friends" due to its continued dominance of Formula 1.

In qualifying for Sunday's British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton finished a second clear of a rival from another team in setting a new lap record at Silverstone, with only team-mate Valtteri Bottas in close attendance.

With Ferrari struggling for power this season, and Red Bull hit-and-miss with its performance, the signs are obvious that Mercedes will win a seventh successive constructors' championship, and that Hamilton and Bottas will contest the drivers' crown.

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Wolff is refusing to let complacency creep into his organisation, but is aware of the outside perception of his team with its relentless run of success.

"When you look at sports teams, their success, when it kind of tails off and goes, I think it's when you get complacent, when you start taking things for granted or when the team dissipates," said Wolff, speaking on Channel 4.

"At the moment we have a very strong team. We're all aligned, we have the same values and objectives and we want to stay together. But this is no guarantee for the future.

"I guess with that kind of performance, we're not making a lot of new friends. So we are getting attacks on every front and everything is being questioned.

"That is another fight we need to sustain, but I guess you'd rather have that than people having pity on you."

Although Mercedes has won the first three races of this season and is odds-on to make it four-in-a-row, Wolff is refusing to consider the titles are again heading his team's way.

"If we'd had that mindset I don't think we would have won the championships we have," remarked Wolff. "We are permanently self-critical and doubting ourselves and that has pushed us forwards."

Conceding to a slight chink in the armour of the W11, Wolff added: "The only downside that I've seen this weekend was that we were not as competitive when it got hot. It will be a topic next week. Another 30 degrees weekend in the UK [for the 70th Anniversary GP] and then Barcelona [Spanish GP]."

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