Mercedes crew principal Toto Wolff says this crew can take advantages from buyer crew McLaren successful back-to-back constructors’ championships, regardless of hos works crew being crushed within the course of.
McLaren wrapped up its second consecutive title in Singapore, regardless of George Russell securing victory for Mercedes. That was simply Mercedes’ second win of the yr because it has been comfortably crushed by its buyer crew over the previous two seasons, however Wolff says the McLaren instance proves the ability unit is just not an space of weak point when his crew appears at efficiency deficits.
“I feel that such inner competitors has its benefits,” Wolff mentioned. “It avoids any dialogue whether or not the ability unit is likely one of the root causes that the chassis is not so good. Are we placing an excessive amount of torque on the tires? Is the drivability of the engine good or not? And seeing a crew run away with a championship like McLaren over the past two years is only a proof that it may be achieved.
“In that method, you have a look at the automotive and I feel it is simply superb engineering and executed in the precise method. It is positively the benchmark of the final two or so years.”
The McLaren title got here on a weekend when Mercedes outperformed the constructors’ champions in Singapore, and heading right into a double-header that begins this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Wolff is intrigued to see whethr Mercedes can keep the shape that helped it safe robust outcomes with each vehicles over the previous two rounds.
“We come off the again of a powerful lead to Singapore, taking victory with George and P5 for Kimi [Antonelli]. Not solely was that surprising, our degree of efficiency throughout Saturday and Sunday confirmed it was no fluke,” Wolff mentioned.
“That has been the story of the season considerably, the place it is not clear which crew can be main the way in which from weekend to weekend. We have been additionally good in Azerbaijan, so we’re curious to see if we are able to keep the step we’ve got made with the W16 into this subsequent run of races throughout the Americas.
“They’re very completely different layouts and challenges to these two road circuits, so we’re heading a bit of into the unknown, however that unpredictability is what makes our sport so gratifying.”
Mercedes heads to COTA second within the constructors’ championship off the again of Russell’s win in Singapore, 27 factors away from Ferrari and 35 forward of Pink Bull within the battle for the runner-up spot.
