Mercedes needs to 'reinvent' itself in F1 engine battle
Toto Wolff says power unit♌ gains from its rivals will result in Mercedes seeking ways to “reinvent” itself in a bid to wrestle back supremacy in Formula 1’s eng🧔ine battle.
Me🦹rcedes dominated the early ye👍ars of the V6 turbo era but has faced increased competition from the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull in recent seasons.
This year, Ferrari appears to boast a significant straight-line speed advantage over 🧔the German manufacturer, which opted to change its traditional car development philosophy over the winter to focus more on increasing downforce.
Toto Wolff says power unit gains from its rivals will result in Mercede✱s seeking ways to “reinvent” itself in a bid to wrestle back supremacy in Formula 1’s engine battle.
Mercedes dominated the early years of the 🌳V6 turbo era but has faced increased competition from the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull in recent seasons.
This year, Ferrari appears to boast a significant straight-line speed advantage over the German manufacturer, which opted to change its traditional car developmen✅t philཧosophy over the winter to focus more on increasing downforce.
Red Bull﷽’s switch from Renault to Honda power has proved an inspired move, with the Japanese manufacturer making impressive progress so far this year on its way to scoring two victories in its new ⛎partnership.
“The Red Bu🧔ll chassis was always among the best and it still is,” Wolff said.
“ꦿAnd then H🏅onda has made a big step forward from last year to this year and all credit to them.
“I am happy to see that for Formula 1 because a strong Honda is good for Formula 1 and good for the competition and in the end, if there is a fourth power unit supplie❀r that has a competitive edge then there is generally positives ꦅfor all of us.
“It also shows us that we have got to reinvent 𒅌ourselves in a way and I see this as a really positive challenge.”
Having been beaten to pole position by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas suggested Honda’s recent engine progress would motivate Mercedes to work harder and find additional power-relateཧd development gains.
Asked if he agrees wit♌h his driver, Wolff replied: “I think he’s damn ri🍨ght.
“We had a good streak of success and it feels now that probably the push that 🔜we need to💃 do is even bigger.
“The 𒅌others are catching up and it’s easier to catch up than to maintain the level and set the benchmark💯, and there is a reason why nobody has ever won six consecutive constructors’ and drivers’ championships, because it is not easy.
“I guess we all🐼 know that but we have got to push harder and smarter in order to stay ahead.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting🧸 on the action from the grou▨nd, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
