Lewis Hamilton has lauded the laid-back atmosphere at Mercedes as his team closes in on consecutive titles.
Mercedes, who have been the dominant force in Formula One for the past two seasons, will seal the constructors' championship in Russia on Sunday if they outscore Ferrari by three points.
Hamilton was widely criticised when he chose to leave McLaren and join Mercedes in 2013.
But the 30-year-old is set to become the first British driver to successfully defend his grand prix crown having won 20 races with Mercedes since he quit McLaren.
In contrast, his old team have not won a single race since his exit and, following their disastrous renewed relationship with engine supplier Honda, are in the midst of their worst-ever campaign.
"You walk into that building and you don't want to touch anything," said Hamilton of McLaren's state-of-the-art HQ in Woking.
"When I came to Mercedes, it was more like my old Formula Three team. It feels like more of a racing team, the way everyone works together.
"For example at McLaren - something as small as the workspace you have in the office - they have dividers, but we don't. You can see each other over the desk so the communication is better. It must be better because of the success we're having.
"We've got this really innovative group of guys here. One of the guys here is an aerodynamicist, and he was my aerodynamicist at McLaren - so it's not like they don't have great individuals - but he has so much more freedom here to do the right thing, and I've really seen that. That's why our car is so bloody good because he is amongst that group who have that freedom."
McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, who signed Hamilton as a 13-year-old, has been a pivotal figure within the British team since 1980.
But his position has come under pressure following McLaren's demise. They have scored a paltry 17 points this term and are ahead of only minnows Manor in the constructors' championship.
Hamilton, who secured the first of his two world titles during his six-season spell with the ailing British team, added: "When you walked in the garage at McLaren I felt great with the boys, but I know they were more on point when Ron walks into the room. I know the guys were more cautious.
"Here when (Mercedes motorsport boss) Toto Wolff walks in, I know there's a relaxed environment.
"We had exceptional years there, but it was never quite right. Generally we could never really start with a blinding car. We'd arrive and we would be like 'they have a double diffuser, why don't we have a double diffuser?'
"I don't want to belittle what I did with that team. I'm just telling you the difference. I just feel more comfortable in this workspace."
Hamilton posted a glowing tribute to Dennis on the eve of matching Ayrton Senna's tally of 41 career wins in Japan last month.
"I was sitting in my room and thinking to myself. 's***, I'm racing for my 41st victory here this weekend, and half of those were with Ron'," Hamilton said of the Instagram post.
"I think it's just good sometimes to not only think it, but let people know that you're conscious of it.
"There's not a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for the moments he's given me to enable me to have the life that I have."
Source: PA
