‘Mercedes puts the brakes on Aston Martin’s success’

Aston Martin has a good relationship with Mercedes but Damon Hill believes that will end if the “loyal subgroup” is threatened.

While Aston Martin under its previous monikers has been a Mercedes customer since 2009, the relationship grew stronger last season when the team, running as Racing Point , getting rid of the controversial pink Mercedes.

The car not only featured all the unregistered parts that teams are allowed to buy from competitors, but its design was in the W10 of the previous year.

There was also at least one recorded part, the brake hooks, which cost 15 Racing points and a fine as well.

The relationship has continued this season, driven by the relationship between Aston owner Martin Lawrence Stroll and Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.

Hill, however, believes it won’t last very long if Aston Martin starts to show signs of challenging Mercedes.

While the 1996 World Championship believes that Mercedes will have no problem with Aston Martin fighting at the front, if that fight affects Mercedes’ bid to win titles the relationship could turn sour.

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“Interesting thing, isn’t it?” the former F1 driver said in an interview with Autocar.

“They are as married to Mercedes, so strongly tied through part ownership and, it must be said, from copying their design.

“But whether they will be a loyal sub-group is another matter.

“When they start moving away from that, they don’t get as much support.

“If Mercedes is beaten, it may not be Aston Martin, but they wouldn’t mind putting Aston between them and Red Bull.”

New Aston Martin signing Sebastian Vettel agrees, confident that his team will be allowed to fight Mercedes unhindered.

“It simply came to our notice then. The world has moved on. In the past, you were probably right. In some cases it may still be present, in other cases a long time ago, ”he said.

“With someone like Mercedes, I think we can trust that you will be treated fairly and if you are quicker you will be allowed to beat them.

“I think this kind of mindset [of thinking there is a disadvantage] which is far out of principle. I can see where you come from, but I don’t care. ”

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