23/12/2019
NEWS STORY
It is widely thought that rather than a total re-set in 2021, when the sport introduces a raft of new regulations, it might take another two or three seasons before a shift in the current order is seen, if at all.
Indeed, courtesy of their superior resources, the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will begin their 2021 programmes much earlier than their rivals, throwing money into research and development before the 'playing field levelling' budget cap kicks in.
Though his team has dominated the sport since the hybrid era began, winning 73.6% of the races held, as he reflects on season past (2019), Toto Wolff appears to take his preferred underdog position for 2021.
"2021 is going to be a completely new challenge because the regs are being put upside down," says the Austrian.
"What we have today in terms of aero will not exist anymore in 2021," he continues. "I believe it's an opportunity, as a team, to do a decent job and prove that we can go through a regulatory change and come out on top like we've done in the past.
"Certainly there is no sense of entitlement," he insists. "Last year's records don't buy us any credit for future seasons to come. It's something that is very exciting for us and I personally look forward to have 2021 coming.
"Every single year since 2014, we have tried to set objectives that really motivate us," he continues. "In 2019, the overwhelming target was to win a sixth consecutive double championship, which wasn't done before in Formula 1, and up to our knowledge wasn't done before in any other sport on a world championship level.
"So this was the target that kept us going. Also on the difficult days it helped us to push through the weekends that didn't run in the way we've expected. It's something that really kept us energised over the whole year.
"You can very much feel the difference in the mood in the factory after a bad weekend, or good weekend," he admits. "But the surprising fact is that I feel such a strong buzz in the factories after the difficult weekends.
"It's the days where we failed that we feel that we need to push even more and work smart and intelligently and I enjoy that coming back on Monday and leave no stone unturned, uncover our shortfalls, and then eventually rise again."