Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits to studying Manchester United’s failings to learn about his F1 team

United are the most successful English football team of all time in domestic competition but have not won the Premier League in a decade - and came under increasing ridicule after losing 4-0 to Brentford.

The dynasty built by Sir Alex Ferguson is comparable to the success of Mercedes under their team principal, Wolff, when they won seven driver’s championships in a row.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull ended that streak last season and looks likely to win the 2022 title, too.

Wolff told the Financial Times about studying Man United: “I studied why great teams were not able to repeat great title [runs].

“No sports team in any sport has ever won eight consecutive world championship titles, and there are many reasons for that, and what is at the core is the human. 

“The human gets complacent. You are not energised in the same way you were before. 

“You are maybe not as ambitious.” 

Wolff led Lewis Hamilton to six titles, and Nico Rosberg to one.

He said that if their run of dominance continued: “We would kill Formula 1 because nobody would watch it any more”.

The Mercedes driven by Hamilton and George Russell this year has been blighted by porpoising problems that meant a title challenge was written off within the first few races of 2022.

Hamilton will be 38 years old next year, the last of his current Mercedes contract, as he chases an all-time record eighth title.

Wolff said about his streak of championships ending: “I often get the question: ‘How hard is that?’

“I had so many periods, so many episodes in my life that I would judge as difficult, that this is not on the same scale.”