With new regulations being introduced for the 2017 Formula 1 season, Toto Wolff claims that Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team are “fearing everybody”.
The German manufacturer have been the dominant force in F1 since 2014, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg securing every Constructors Championship for them with an impressive 51 race wins between them, as well as Hamilton securing the World Drivers’ Championship twice and Rosberg once.
This season sees new regulations being introduced with the cars becoming wider and more aggressive-looking, they will be fitted with bigger Pirelli tyres and will generate 20% more downforce. No-one knows the outcome of who will come out on top because of these new regulations but Mercedes have been tipped to retain its edge.
Wolff confirms Mercedes are super motivated to get things correct this season and continue their winning strike but with the regulation changes Mercedes will be fearing everybody as there’s opportunities for any team to do well.
“I was nervous four years ago [Wolff joined Mercedes in 2013] when we started our journey, on whether we would be able to win races and championships soon,” the Mercedes boss told BBC 5 Live Sport.
“We have done that over the last years so the nervousness has gone down a bit. Equally there is a risk and we would not want to fall into the trap of being complacent. These regulation changes come at the right time and we’re super motivated in getting it right. It’s not a given though. We don’t know.
“There could be the odd silver bullet like Ross [Brawn] had back in 2009 with the double diffuser [on the Brawn GP car that helped Jenson Button secure that year’s title]. We will see probably in the second Barcelona test if somebody has new innovations on the car that others have not spotted.
“Through a regulation change, you need to fear everybody because nobody would have expected Brawn GP to be a championship contender in 2009 so we look at everybody as there are opportunities for everyone.”
