Hywel Thomas's three factors of competitiveness

      Many believe that Mercedes engines will again turn out to be the best when the regulations change, but Hywel Thomas, managing director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, prefers to think they are a step behind…

      Hywel Thomas: "To be honest, right now I don't know what power we will be able to use in the first race. I can't imagine where rivals get that information from when they consider us the favourites.

      Yes, it may happen that one manufacturer will dominate, although the regulations are written to avoid that. There are certain constraints that force you to act in a particular way — with them the likelihood of someone seriously getting ahead of you is reduced. But someone might find a loophole in the regulations, read the rules differently, discover something remarkable that no one else has found.

      We never think we have enough power and reliability, we never think we are the best at translating those qualities onto the track. If you tell yourself you're a little behind, you always strive to add a bit more.

      I hope the duration of testing this year will be enough to prepare for the start of the season. Over the years we've invested a lot in dynamometers, in organising our operations, in virtual models. In testing you have to check everything, because there are so many new interactions, so many new things… the car, the tyres, everything. But I think that time will be sufficient for us to move forward.

      Competitiveness depends on three factors — internal combustion engine power, the efficiency of the electrical system, and their interaction. The question is how to make all of that work together?

      How quickly do you obtain and use that energy? How do you interact with the new car? How do you interact with the driver? He can do one straight incredibly fast if he really wants to, but by the end of the lap the energy will be gone and he won't be able to repeat it. The strategic aspect and determining how best to use all of this will also play an important role."