Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must keep their fight and hunger to win if they are to claim a record sixth-straight title-double.
Hamilton secured his fifth Drivers’ title in 2018, while the Silver Arrows secured a fifth-consecutive Constructors’ Championship, moving level with Ferrari’s achievements from 2000-04.
2019 presents the opportunity for Mercedes to set further Formula 1 history, but their star man insists nobody within the team allows their successes to turn into complacency.
“For me, it’s not something that I allow my peers to talk about, that’s not who we’re here to focus on, that number,” he said via Motorsport Week.
“It’s never been done before. We are always driven to do something new and break boundaries and do stuff that no-one has done before, but we are fully aware of the work that it will take to deliver something like that.
“By no means are we like ‘yeah we’re going for the sixth’ like it’s a relaxed thing. It’s nothing like that.
“For me as well, I’m not focusing on that.
“It’s a new season, a new year, a new chapter, and we have to approach it like it’s our first and we’re going for number one. That’s how I approach it.”
That’s a wrap! The first winter test comes to a close in Barcelona! ?
Another strong day of running for our boys and W10! 115 laps in total today! ?
See you next week, @Circuitcat_eng ?#F1Testing pic.twitter.com/8W1e1uuw44
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) February 21, 2019
Hamilton praised his team for never taking their foot off the gas, even though it would be easy to do so after so much success.
“Right now we are competing against our past selves as a team.
“We are trying to raise the bar in all those areas. All the engineers at the factory are raising the bar.
“It has been super impressive to see the atmosphere within the team after all these years of success.
“To see the hunger and the drive is still there, no one is phasing out or backing off, everyone is pushing full steam ahead.
“It has been a difficult winter back at the factory; I could see it and I have heard from the guys it was probably the most difficult one, with the rule change once again.
“But if anyone can do it, I truly believe it is my guys.
“We are the only team to have won a Championship in a crossover of rules situation and I am confident that even if we don’t start on the right foot at the first race I feel confident.”
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