08/02/2017
NEWS STORY
Less than two weeks before the first of the launches, Mercedes boss promises a "spectacular" new look.
If nothing else, the new aero regulations have produced lots of copy in terms of how great the cars will look, how physical they will be to drive and how fast they will go.
On the other hand there have been ominous warnings that the order will not be as shaken up as hoped for and that overtaking will remain difficult.
Two weeks before the launch of his team's contender, the car with which it hopes to add a fourth successive title(s), Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has added to the hyperbole.
"I am most excited to see how the new car's going to go because we expect them to be much faster and they look spectacular," says the Austrian.
"It's going to be much more physical for the drivers," he insists before adding a word of caution. "But when there's such regulation change it gives opportunities... and risks. We have set aggressive targets for where we think the car should be, should be going to, and also the engine. We are pushing flat out to achieve those targets, but will those targets be enough, or will other teams come out of the blocks better than we do? We don't know.
"Whether there's a regulation change or not, it's that time of the year where we are always sceptical," he admits. "We always question ourselves whether we have done a good enough job. This is very much the mentality in the team. It doesn't make our days more happy, but it's how we function."