2017 Mercedes Analysis: Actually Made to Work For It

Nothing good lasts forever. A cliché, sure, but one that is undeniably true. For Mercedes in 2017, that meant their unprecedented level of dominance came to an end… and yet, the result was still the same: another world championship.

Twelve wins, fifteen poles, twenty-six podiums. Only, for Mercedes could those numbers be indicative of anything other than dominance, but the truth is they represent the first time in their four-year run at the top where they didn’t have it all their own way. Yes, they still had the fastest car, and yes, they still had Lewis Hamilton, but unlike their other championship years, they were actually made to

work for it.

Where the previous three seasons had seen Mercedes deliver a package that was almost unassailable, 2017 saw them finally show some weakness. As fast as the W08 was, early races in Bahrain, Russia and Monaco showed it was a car with some significant teething issues, ones which opened the door for Ferrari. Indeed, it took them until Canada – the seventh race of the season – to solidify their lead in the constructor’s standings, and their first quarter back-and-forth with the Scuderia marked the first time they hadn’t topped the standings since McLaren led after round one in Australia in 2014.

Of course, as is the case with most great champions, the Silver Arrows managed to overcome that early-season adversity, and now looking back, it’s kind of hard to believe a team that won the title by 166 points was at one point labelling themselves as “underdogs”. Even if Valtteri Bottas wasn’t exactly a like-for-like replacement for Nico Rosberg, and even if the car continued to be glaringly imperfect on occasion (Hungary, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico), development was such that when it worked, it really

In the end, that led Mercedes to seal the constructor’s title in Austin with three races still to go and ensured that once again, their place as the cream of the F1 crop was beyond question. In a way, it’s a testament to their sustained excellence that 12 wins represent a “down” year, but the fact remains that is still far above the competition. Maybe 2018 is the year that finally changes, but at least for now, the title is once again theirs to lose.

Rating: 8.5/10

Even if the misfortune that befell rival Sebastian Vettel played a part in him winning a fourth driver’s championship, there’s no denying Hamilton exceptionally deserved regardless. To name but a few, his Grand Chelems in China and the UK, his record-equalling 65^th pole in Montreal, and his dispatching of Sebastian Vettel in Texas were but some of the standout performances in a season full of them, and while he had the best car, his level of dominance over Valtteri Bottas reinforced his impact as a driver. At this point in his career, it’s really just a question of how high he can go, but right now, you wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks every record there is.

Rating: 9.5/10

Replacing 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg was never going to be easy, and that certainly proved the case for Valtteri Bottas. Despite scoring three wins in 2017, the Finn was never really in the championship hunt as Rosberg had been, and while Lewis Hamilton only got stronger as the season went on, the Finn’s had trouble sustaining form from Saturday to Sunday, to say nothing of his erraticism from race to race. Of course, Hamilton represents a ridiculously high mark to measure against, but right now, it’s hard to classify Bottas as anything more than the Silver Arrows’ number two driver.

Rating: 7/10