Mercedes adopt underdog mindset for 2017 season

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says that Mercedes have adopted an underdog mindset for the 2017 season as they bid for a fourth successive drivers and constructors titles.

Mercedes has had it plain sailing since the introdcution of the V6 Hybrid power units in 2014, however, it appears that they have a fight this year with Ferrari. Wolff says the teams is not thinking like reigning champions but like underdogs. 

“China was a great way to hit back in the battle with Ferrari," Wolff said via Mercedes' official website. "We are very close on pace and I expect a bit of a ping-pong battle through the season, depending on the track. That’s exciting for everyone.

“What we have in 2017 is the perfect situation for the fans and also for us as a team. We are all racers and we are all properly excited for this fight. Two races into the season and now it is 1:1 between Mercedes and Ferrari. And after racing on a very different circuit, in very different conditions, it’s clear that we are very closely matched – and that small margins will make the difference.

“Our one point lead in the constructors’ championship is anything but a comfortable margin. We need to – and we will – keep working with everything we have got to develop our car, correct our errors and continue improving. Our mindset is that of the underdog – not the Champion. And the fight has just begun."