Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn believes Mercedes won't repeat Williams' domination in 1992.
In China, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas became the first pairing since Nigel Mansell and Ricardo Patrese to score three consecutive 1-2 finishes to start the season.
That year, the Briton would win nine of the 16 races and only finished worse than second when he would retire but Brawn sees too much competition to Mercedes for that trend to continue.
“The three consecutive one-two finishes scored by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are definitely down to a team that is operating to perfection at the moment, with a top-notch technical package," he said after Sunday's race.
"But it’s also fair to say it is up against stronger opposition than was Williams back in ’92.
“In Bahrain a fortnight ago Ferrari dominated qualifying and save for the technical woes that derailed their efforts in the race, the team were heading for an emphatic victory with Charles Leclerc.
“Red Bull, especially in the case of Max Verstappen, are ready to pounce, proving that this year’s switch to Honda is so far beginning to show results."
Also Read:
- Hamilton: Mercedes running at 'full potential' to stay ahead of Ferrari
- Questions raised about Ferrari car but Vettel insists 'there's nothing wrong'
Even if Ferrari and Red Bull can at least prevent total domination, Brawn admits stopping Mercedes from winning the championship is a much different challenge.
"One has to accept that Mercedes can still draw strength from the fact it has been the dominant force over the past few years, as can be seen by the way it fought back last year when it seemed that Ferrari had pretty much caught up in performance terms," he continued.
“Of course, I have nothing against Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and the many friends I still have in that team, but I hope that 2019 won’t be a repeat of 1992.
“Whatever the outcome, I hope that the championship fight will be truly spectacular, as befits this sport.”
