Lewis Hamilton believes this year’s Mercedes W11 is “probably” the best car ever to race in Formula 1.
Just over a week ago, the German manufacturer claimed its seventh consecutive Constructors’ Championship, while Hamilton himself could wrap up a seventh Drivers’ title this weekend in Turkey.
And commenting after the race at Imola, the Briton offered some insight into how Mercedes has managed to stay ahead for so long.
“What we have done is no coincidence,” he told Sky Sports. “Valtteri (Bottas) and I are just a part of this incredible chain of people who are collectively working and all rowing in the same direction.
“People will probably want to understand how we do it and I think it’s just continuing to set ridiculously high goals every year.
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“When it comes to the car, I remember we sat down in 2013 and I would always sit and speak to the guys on aero and talk about where our target is.
“There would be a dot and I’d say ‘well move that even higher’, and they were like, ‘yeah you’re right, let’s move it higher’.
“And they just continued to do that year on year on year and raise that target that it’s so far out of reach, but if we work towards getting there maybe we’ll get there and that’s what we’ve done every year.”
This season’s W11 has arguably been Mercedes’ most dominant yet having taken pole at every race and only not been victorious on Sunday twice, at the second Silverstone race and at Monza.
Statistically, however, both the 2015 and 2016 cars have scored a higher percentage of available points, while the 2014 and 2015 Mercedes’ both had higher average winning margins in the race.
Even so: “The whole car collectively, for sure, is the best car that we’ve built,” Hamilton added.
“I think probably it will be the best car that we’ll ever have, I think, probably in the sport.”
Still, looking forward, Mercedes are refusing to get complacent about their chances of adding more championship success.
“We always worry,” team boss Toto Wolff told Motorsport.com on the threat posed by Red Bull and Max Verstappen next year.
“You can say that this season was probably our strongest and with the biggest gap but Max is also doing a fantastic job. He’s probably driving better than the car is actually capable of bringing.
“It’s like a deja vu every single weekend where you have these three amigos out in front and he’s just clinging on with his fingertips to the Mercedes.
“Therefore next year, Honda is going to give it a big go I guess in the last season, and everybody at Red Bull is going to be motivated. Last but not least, Max.”