As enthusiasts patiently explain , motor racing is a team sport . We think it ’ s all about the best driver , true aficionados see beyond to unsung heroes in overalls glimpsed during pit stops and others who sit at drawing boards and laptop computers . The most committed Formula One fans are never outraged by team orders and regard the constructors ’ championship as equally compelling . So why the fuss about Mercedes ? If the rules state that a designer must be limited or regulated if he gets too good , what is the point in having a constructors ’ championship at all ? Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates his win at the season-opening race in Melbourne , Australia . Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg were in a class of their own as they dominated the race . Hamilton , the reigning world champion , is the overwhelming favourite to defend his Formula One crown . Give everyone the same car , forget teams and make F1 about drivers only . The problem is , who would then pay for all that expensive equipment to be ferried around the world ? One can hardly imagine Lewis Hamilton trundling his wheels off a ferry at Cherbourg before making his way down to the Monte Carlo Grand Prix via the toll roads . Yes , we may be in for a boring F1 season but not for the reason many imagine : the dominance of Mercedes . This is shaping up as a dull one because the narrative is now set at one team being too good and Hamilton being the best only because he has the fastest car . Critics then seek to devalue his achievements . Yawn . Naturally , the man with the fastest machine often wins — but not always . In the past 30 years , there have been four occasions when the top driver wasn ’ t in the top car and Hamilton is the only one to achieve that feat this century . Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo finished sixth at the first race of the season , one lap down on Hamilton . Christian Horner oversaw Red Bulls dominance from 2010-2013 as they won four consecutive championships . Helmut Marko , motorsport advisor of Red Bull , has speculated that his team could pull out of Formula One . VIDEO Red Bull threaten exit over 'boring ' rules . In 2008 , Hamilton won the drivers ’ championship in a McLaren but Ferrari took the constructors ’ title . Before that , Mika Hakkinen ( 1999 ) , Michael Schumacher ( 1994 ) and Alain Prost ( 1986 ) also pulled it off . So when Hamilton said if everyone had the same car he would still be champion , he is probably right . F1 isn ’ t like that , though . It ’ s a team game , and Mercedes deserve their glory , too . Helmut Marko , motorsport advisor of Red Bull , has speculated that his team could pull out if Mercedes are allowed to dominate and some are troubled by that threat — but what if Mercedes walked instead ? What if , instead of losing the also-rans , the team with the best driver and the best car grew sick of the artificial manipulation , and withdrew ? Red Bull dominated for four years and each season changes were made to try to rein them in , but after one race ? That is a pathetic attitude . ‘ Just get your head down , work hard and try to sort it out , ’ was the advice from Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and he is right . If this season is about Hamilton versus his team-mate Nico Rosberg , tough . Last year , F1 risked a lottery by awarding random double points for the final Grand Prix . This is worse — a sport that seeks to put the brakes on excellence for the sake of mediocrity is not much of a sport at all .
Lewis Hamilton won in Australia ahead of team-mate Nico Robserg . Helmut Marko , motorsport advisor of Mercedes , has speculated that his team could pull out of Formula One if Red Bull are allowed to dominate . Red Bull chief Toto Wolff has urged Mercedes to 'get their head down ' And if this Formula One season is about Hamilton vs Rosberg , tough .