Toto Wolff has explained why he is keen to downplay expectations for Mercedes in 2206 following the 'humiliation' suffered in the last rules change.
Throughout the winter, Wolff's team had been regarded as favourites for F1's new era, with the new engine rules named as a major factor given the success Mercedes enjoyed during the last major engine shake-up for 2014.
That started a run of eight consecutive constructors' crowns, and seven drivers' titles before the team was toppled in 2022 by the ground-effect rules.
For the second pre-season test four years, Mercedes brought a zero sidepod design which ultimately proved to be floored as Red Bull stole the mantle of 'team to beat' from the Brackley squad.
Although Mercedes was able to finish as runner-up in the constructors' in two of the four ground effect years, it only won a total of seven races, and went winless in 2023, for the first time since 2011.
After the first 2026 test in Barcelona, Mercedes emerged with its reputation as the favourites enhanced with a bullet-proof and fast three days, although Lewis Hamilton pipped his former team to the outright fastest time on the final day for Ferrari.
Addressing the media after the test, Wolff was in a sombre, reflective mood as he explained why he did not want to come across a shattering "realisation" in Bahrain testing, or the first race in Australia.
"Failure is such a harsh word, and we're into these regulations for the next few years, and how I'd like to see [progress] is the way we're thinking about it is not optimisation on a weekend or in a season, but seeing an upward trajectory," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.
"I am certain there will be challenges, our own challenges, and the relative performance against the others, but let's see how it goes and if we have a car with the potential to fight for a championship.
"But I am a glass-half-empty person, I am wary and skeptical. I am always skeptical about performance; I've too often set my expectations in the wrong place.
"I just don't want to come to a realisation in Bahrain, or in Melbourne, that we are not what we thought we are going to be, and that is a race winner.
"We are enthused going into this new environment, and obviously, you wake up with more of a smile if your car is quick, and the early indications are positive that at least the car doesn't look like a turd, and we're in the midfield, it looks like we have something we can build on."
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Why Wolff is dampening expectations
When asked why he was keen to lower expectations so much, Wolff pointed to the "painful" experience of 2022 and the flawed 'zeropod' design.
"It is expectation management. When we came out with our car in 2022, we expected to put one-and-a-half seconds on the car with the zeropod concept at the second test, and that failed," he added.
"We didn't see the problem that problem coming, which was linked to it, and that was the heavy porpoising and not being able to run low and being too stiff, but I am sure there will be other challenges thrown at us from all directions.
"You learn more from the days you lose than the days you win because you dig deeper because it is painful and humiliating.
"So that is why I want to dampen the expectations, our internal and external expectations, and reduce the pressure, because it is going to be a difficult ride."
Also interesting:
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