Hamilton smashes Yas Marina Circuit lap record
Champion sets record pace ahead of Vettel and the rest for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Boss Toto Wolff has called on his Mercedes team to remain “humble with feet on the ground” as they set out to chase a possible fifth title next season.
The pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas combined well to land the Mercedes with their fourth Constructors’ Championship crown while Hamilton went on to help himself to a fourth Drivers’ Championship title before the season ended this year.
“Can we keep this going? Yes, we can provided we manage to keep a balance between the chassis and the power unit,” Wolff told media on the sidelines of the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, yesterday.
“The fight will always be there between the three teams [Ferrari and Red Bull the other two], if not more. But the key would be to stay humble and with feet on the ground.
“I have great respect for all the other teams. But the idea will be to have a competitive car for 2018 and win races and eventually be in the fight for one more title by the end of the season.”
Wolff, however, promised that his team would ensure they would continue innovating going forward into 2018. But for the time-being he would rather mull on this weekend’s final race to sign off 2017 on a winning note. “Lewis [Hamilton] has been very good, but I am sure Valtteri [Bottas] would want to win another one as well. It is tough to judge after Friday’s practice sessions as it all comes down to a tenth of a second. We will be there on Saturday and Sunday,” he promised.
Last year, Mercedes tied down Wolff and non-executive chairman and former world champion Niki Lauda — who also owns a 10 per cent stake — until 2020. Daimler AG chairman Dieter Zetsche praised Wolff and Lauda for their impact since the management shake-up in the management of Mercedes in 2013.
Strong results
The duo’s reign at the helm of Mercedes has coincided with their unprecedented success over the past three years when Mercedes have dominated the sport since the move to hybrid engines in 2014.
The team have won the Constructors’ Championship for the last four seasons, while Hamilton has claimed three driver titles and Nico Rosberg one when he clinched the championship last year before his retirement.
The series of strong results has only made Mercedes more hungry even though much of the sport has changed with the takeover from Bernie Ecclestone by US-based Liberty Media.
“This is a new time for our sport and we need to back them [Liberty] all the way as the changes that they want to make are going to eventually assist our sport in growing among our audiences. The most important thing for us to remember at this juncture is that we are all stakeholders in our sport,” Wolff said.
The Vienna-born Mercedes boss, who holds a 30 per cent stake in the team, rued the lack of time between the end and start of the season. “Honestly, there is no off season any more. We are trying to put our final touches to the current season
and we already have a 24 by 7 operation going on at our factory. So there is no down time for us anymore,” he said.