Wolff vows that Mercedes will not underestimate competition

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has insisted that the Silver Arrows will not underestimate the competition from the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull in 2018 as his team aims to claim their fifth world championship in a row and continue their era of domination.

Mercedes have won each constructor championship from 2014 up until 2017 last season, and remain the favourites to do so again with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas behind the wheel again next campaign.

Standardised engines are going to be implemented by Liberty Media from 2021 onwards, but F1 head of motorsport Ross Brawn is eager for Mercedes not to develop a monopoly before then, something Wolff takes exception to.

"Well, Ross needs to blame himself partly for that!" Wolff told ESPN.

"He set the initial cornerstones in place back in 2012 when the team struggled a lot, with hirings such as Aldo Costa, and they were down to him. He has a problem now, he's on the other side and he needs to make sure there is more teams winning."

Wolff went on to address the 2018 season and the competition that will take place for the driver's and team's championships, and insisted that Mercedes would not take their foot off the gas.

"I think we have a good organisation in place and somehow the wheel rolls now, but having said that you must never underestimate any of the competition," he continued.

"It can go super quick and suddenly you are on the back foot and the car is not as good as the others and we have seen that with Ferrari how quickly they can turn it around [the other way] from a so-so season to a world championship challenger in 2017.

"So I think it's important to stay humble, forget about your own achievements. We are taking all the stickers off the doors here saying we have won the championship because in 2018 it all starts from zero again."