Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says revised regulations in Formula 1 means his team is regarding all of its rivals as “potential threats” for the 2019 title.
Mercedes has not been beaten to a championship in Formula 1’s hybrid era, and has been assured of both Drivers’ and Constructors’ crowns with at least a round to spare on each occasion.
Last year Lewis Hamilton overhauled Sebastian Vettel to secure a fifth Drivers’ title, with Mercedes swatting aside a renewed threat from Ferrari to retain its championship once more.
Formula 1 has introduced tweaked aerodynamic regulations for 2019, designed to enhance the quality and quantity of racing, and Wolff says Mercedes is not resting on its laurels going forward.
“The 2019 season will be a new challenge for all of us,” said Wolff as Mercedes launched its W10.
“The regulations have changed quite substantially. We have to start from scratch, we need to prove ourselves again – against our own expectations and against our competitors.
“We start the season with zero points, so we’re taking nothing for granted and there’s absolutely no feeling of entitlement to be at the front.
“In fact, with the regulation change for the new season, every team can have a shot at the title and we’re seeing all of them as a potential threat.
“But we’re all looking forward to the challenge; we’re eager to hit the ground running in Barcelona, to benchmark ourselves against our own simulations and see if our predictions materialise on track.
“We will focus on ourselves, building up performance and hopefully be ready when the first really competitive session starts on Saturday in Melbourne.”
Mercedes will again field Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, with Wolff backing the Finn to come back stronger after finishing a win-less fifth in last year’s championship.
“We had a good chat after the break; he was in a good place and has been able to fully reset after a season that was not always easy for him,” said Wolff.
“Valtteri knows he has the full backing of the team to succeed and he’s excited to get back in the car and show his critics what he can do.
“I’m really looking forward to a strong competition between the two of them, racing each other hard and fighting hard against our rivals.”
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