Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has explained that he feels nothing but pride for his team after leading them to a sixth straight Formula 1 constructors' championship this season.
Wolff explained during the FIA' annual awards gala in Paris of just what makes his team so successful and the factors that go into maintaining the dominance the team has held on the sport throughout the hybrid era.
Wolff also explained how he sees many similarities between his team and Ferrari during their dominant days in the early 2000's under the instruction of current FIA president, Jean Todt.
"A lot of pride," Wolff responded. "When we embarked on this journey we set outselves a target to be up there for big races we started to gain confidence and we wanted to win the championship.
"We won the first championship and we wanted to repeat it so show we can sustain it and we have done it every year since. We have re-invented ourselves without forgetting what made us strong.
"Equally we are self-critical, and when I listen to Jean speak a lot about his time at Ferrari there is a lot of similarities."
FIA president Todt explained of how he finds it amazing that the team have managed to stay so dominant in F1 for so long and believes that it is not acknowledged enough how much hard work goes into being so successful.
Todt also noted that it was not up to the other teams, mainly rivals Ferrari and Red Bull, to be able to find a way to de-throne Mercedes in the years to come,
"It's amazing. I don't think people realise how difficult it is to achieve that," Todt said. "For me, without even thinking it's like an athlete having to carry two hundred kilos up and keep it up. Normally it will come down.
"I'm full of respect for them, it brings me some memories. They've done bigger than us going six and six where we had six and five and I know they've strong competition.
"It's up to the others. This year I feel that the championship was very difficult but simply it's a combination. You mush have a great driver, a great car and a great team, and because it is so competitive, if you don't have those three together, it will not work."
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