5 factors responsible for Mercedes' domination of the turbo hybrid era

#3 Mercedes ticks all the boxes

At Mercedes, the buck stops with Toto Wolff. Photo: Brynn Lennon/Getty Images

When people talk about Mercedes, they speak of a team that has been, more or less, perfect. They have had the gold-standard engine on the grid since 2014. The chassis and aerodynamic department have produced cars that have the class of the field every time.

The combination of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas is one of the best on the grid in terms of bringing home the results that the team expects.

To add to this, Mercedes' strategic department has always been on the ball. In races like the 2019 Hungarian GP or the 2021 Spanish GP, it was timely strategic calls that helped Lewis Hamilton reach the top of the podium.

To top it all off, Mercedes is led by Toto Wolff and the buck stops with him. A clear leader to whom everyone reports and who has been able to keep the Mercedes ship sailing smoothly since 2014. He knows just how to make the different pieces fit just perfectly and keep the juggernaut in motion.

Mercedes always have the basics covered, letting them focus more on the next piece of the puzzle while the rest of the grid keeps playing catch-up.

#4 Rosberg's retirement was the best thing to happen to Mercedes

The 2016 season was a horror season for Mercedes. Though the team had the fastest package on the grid and would cruise to both driver and constructor titles, the internal tension between the two drivers blew through the roof. Nico Rosberg finally posed a realistic challenge for Lewis Hamilton in the title battle.

Sure, in 2014, Rosberg did take the championship battle to the last race of the season, but throughout the year, it was evident that the German was not on par with Hamilton.

The 2016 season was a different story. Rosberg, after getting dominated in 2015, came through with an entirely different mindset and would not back down to his childhood rival. Inevitably, tensions within the team hit a boiling point when the pair collided at the Spanish GP.

Mercedes were faced with a situation where Hamilton blatantly disobeyed team orders at the last race of the season. Rosberg's championship win and consequent retirement gave the team the opportunity to right the only wrong in the team. The team realized the potential repercussions of having two similarly-paced drivers in the team.

To not induce such a situation again, Mercedes opted to hire Valtteri Bottas as a replacement for Rosberg. Bottas' arrival meant that the entire team rallied around Hamilton as he became the de facto No. 1 driver in the squad while Bottas settled into a supporting role.

If it wasn't for Rosberg's retirement in 2016, Mercedes was a ticking timebomb waiting to explode. They would likely not have had the kind of harmonious relationship that they were able to forge between Hamilton and Bottas.

#5 The opposition was never stable enough to put up a challenge

When Mercedes joined the grid in 2010, teams like Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren were the frontrunners. They had the best drivers, the best personnel and more often than not, they contested amongst themselves for the podiums, wins, and even the championship.

Ever since the new regulations were put in place in 2014, each of these teams has faced an extensive struggle internally to put their best foot forward. Ferrari has gone through multiple leadership changes and been neck-deep in politics that have compounded their issues even further.

McLaren's competitiveness nosedived in 2015 when the team decided to partner with Honda, a marriage that was anything but successful.

Red Bull struggled for most of the hybrid era with an uncompetitive Renault power. It wasn't until they paired up with Honda that they hit upon the desired harmony between chassis efficiency and engine power to contend for victory on a regular basis.

Ferrari did manage to put up a fight against Mercedes in 2018. But with the power struggle between Mattia Binotto and Maurizio Arrivabene, the team was never stable enough to fight the Mercedes juggernaut.

Sure, Mercedes has been relentless in its pursuit of championships and wins but not having a single competitor with their own house in order surely played a part.

With another major shake-up in regulations on the cards for 2022, there is light at the end of the tunnel for both fans and competitors praying for an end to Mercedes' dominant run. Already, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are in the process of mounting a realistic title challenge this season. But regardless, it is safe to say that no other team will match what the Silver Arrows have achieved over the past seven years, any time soon.