Mercedes chief Toto Wolff delivered a karma warning to his Formula 1 rivals as he declared his desire to "win the right way".
The Silver Arrows are yet to win a race this season after adapting slowly to the new era of ground-effect cars. Amid struggles with porpoising and his suspicions that rivals are flouting the rules with use of flexi-floors, Mercedes have lobbied for some rule changes.
But Wolff is keen to stress that they have only done so in the interest of the safety of their drivers. And he does not want to bend any performance rules because he feels the way victory is achieved is just as important as the win itself.
"I don't know if it gives us an edge over the other constructors because we are all different in our approach," he told Square Mile . "The sport is, after all, an entertainment product and the 'win at all costs' mentality is something I would have endorsed a couple of years ago.
"That's very much the American way of just crush the opposition whatever it takes. Today, I still want to win but I want to win in the right way. I have values and a mindset I want to stand for in the team. I believe in humility, honesty, integrity and transparency. These are ingredients that are important in the long term.
"You may have someone that wins but doesn't win in the right way, but that will not last – and karma exists. I'm not looking at one race or one season, I'm looking at 10 or 20 years. My perspective is long term because I'm a co-owner of the team.
"My time will not end with my employment contract, so that allows me to look beyond my shelf life of the next decade. I want to be able to look back and say 'we did it the right way and we were successful'."
In the same interview, Wolff again lashed out at his fellow team principals by labelling them "one-trick ponies". He added: "They run teams very well, there's no two ways about it, but I think you need to have an ulterior focus in what you do. I believe that you can only do well when you're able to put your own role, your own team, and the sport into the perspective of the wider world.
"I think that my 20-year background in finance has helped me to not only develop myself but also shape the team into the commercial operation that it is today. But I'm still learning. I'm 49 plus one, and I wonder where that trajectory takes me in the future."
