Why Mercedes' record-breaking streak is unlikely to be matched

Toto Wolff believes it is unlikely any team will repeat Mercedes' record-breaking championship streak in a budget-cap era.

F1 introduced a spending limit ahead of the 2021 season in order to shrink the gaps between the teams and gradually produce closer and more entertaining racing.

The first two years of the cap has seen teams forced into making more critical decisions regarding car development, stopping larger operations from spending their way out of trouble.

This year, Mercedes missed out on the constructors' title, ending a record run of eight consecutive championships.

Although keen to return the Silver Arrows to the top of the pile, team principal Wolff conceded he does not expect to witness such domination from a single team while the budget cap remains in place.

"You just need to play a better game than the others," said Wolff.

"It's a relative competition. We know who our competitors are today, there will be others tomorrow and after tomorrow because of the cost cap limits that have been set.

"This is what the sport should be - not one team, not three, maybe five. So the landscape has changed.

"I don't think anybody will run away with eight championships in a row going forward. This is the way the regulations have been designed."