Mercedes has dominated Formula One between 2014 and 2021 by winning eight consecutive Constructors’ Championship titles. With Lewis Hamilton at the helm, Mercedes attained great heights in the sport. However, Mercedes have suffered a drop-off in performance this year and are currently at the third position on the constructors’ standings at the mid-point of the season.
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff is perplexed at the declining fortunes of his team. In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Wolff has revealed that he has taken learnings from Manchester United’s era of dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson in order to understand how great teams can sustain their success.
“I studied why great teams were not able to repeat great title runs. No sports team in any sport has ever won eight consecutive World Championship titles and there are many reasons for that, and what is at the core is the human. The human gets complacent. You are not energized in the same way you were before. You are maybe not as ambitious,” Wolff was quoted as saying.
It is only fitting that Wolff studied Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford. Wolff’s record of eight consecutive constructors’ titles at Mercedes is almost unparalleled in sport, except for Manchester United’s record under Sir Alex Ferguson. Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles under Sir Alex.
Ferguson was known for his ability to rejuvenate a team once it had peaked. The celebrated manager had once revealed his views on a team’s life cycle in an interview with Harvard Business School. Ferguson had stated that he believed that the cycle of a successful team lasts for four years and then some change is needed to maintain its success.
It is worth noting that Mercedes has seen tremendous success since Toto Wolff took over the Brackley-based F1 team in 2014. However, with new regulations in place for this season, Mercedes have struggled to produce stellar results. Red Bull and Ferrari have overtaken the team in terms of car performance.
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