Taking their sixth-straight Formula 1 World Championship double in 2019, it should come as no surprise that the team of the year is Mercedes.
Even if their car might not have been quite as strong as some of the previous ones, the Silver Arrows made up for any deficiencies with a level of execution their rivals could only dream of.
Finishing 235 points ahead of closest rivals Ferrari, they made what could have been a difficult season into an easy one, with not just Lewis Hamilton, but the pit wall, pit crew, and perhaps most notably, an improved Valtteri Bottas all doing their part.
In short, it was an outfit that truly embodied the “team” aspect of a sport where it can often go unnoticed.
Second Opinion
While many resent the domination of Mercedes, I am going to put it out there that this Mercedes team led by Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton is the greatest Formula 1 team ever.
No team has ever had such a stranglehold on the big F1 silverware as this era’s Silver Arrows has had. The records speak for themselves.
While the figureheads have been Niki Lauda, Toto and Lewis, this is a huge team (the biggest in the history of the sport?) where every member plays a role with huge passion to deliver unrivalled results. From the media side led by Bradley Lord through to the tech boys led by James Allison to Valtteri Bottas as the world’s best wingman, you cannot fault this outfit – it is as close to perfection as any sports team can reach.
The only question is whether any team/driver can stop them from making it 14 from 7 next year? I say no, and bet money they clean-up again next year… (Paul Velasco)