Mercedes cannot consider the possibility of winning all 21 races in 2019, team boss Toto Wolff has claimed.
The reigning champions have enjoyed the most successful start to a season ever for a team with five 1-2 finishes, beating the previous record of three set by Williams in 1992.
Already sitting 96 points clear of Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings, some are now pondering if Mercedes’ superiority is such that they could go all year unbeaten…
“No,” Wolff replied emphatically to Autosport. “First of all, I think you need to stay humble and keep both feet on the ground.
“We’ve had five fantastic performances now and five one-twos but we don’t take it for granted. It’s not just saying it, it’s really the mindset that we have.”
The closest any team has come to achieving it is McLaren who only lost one race in the entirety of 1988, while Mercedes themselves hold the record for most wins in a single season with 19 from 21 in 2016.
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But this weekend also sees a potential stumbling block in the often unpredictable streets of Monaco.
And it is the scale of the challenge to remain perfect in all situations which Red Bull boss Christian Horner also thinks will be too much for Mercedes.
“I doubt it: 21 races to achieve 21 victories. Never say never but it’d be a hell of an achievement,” he stressed.
“It’s very much a Mercedes Championship. You can see that after five races that they’re three points off of a maximum score.”