Toto Wolff is expecting an “extremely tight” second half the season as Mercedes prepare for more battles with Ferrari, but insists neither team should be considered favourites for this weekend’s Belgian GP.
Formula 1 is making its much-anticipated post-summer return at the iconic Spa circuit with both championships in the balance.
When’s the Belgian GP on Sky Sports F1?
Lewis Hamilton leads Sebastian Vettel by 24 points in a fascinating title duel, while Mercedes are just 10 points ahead of Ferrari in the ever-changing constructors’ standings with nine races remaining in 2018.
“Both the Drivers’ and the Constructors’ Championship are extremely tight and I expect it to be a close battle all the way through to Abu Dhabi,” said Mercedes boss Wolff.
It is been a nip-and-tuck battle between Mercedes and Ferrari, and Wolff admits that the world champions will return to the track “recharged” and “energised” after a huge swing in momentum before the summer break.
The Scuderia led both championships after Vettel’s win in Silverstone at the start of July, but Hamilton’s back-to-back victories in Germany and Hungary, where Ferrari appeared to have the quicker car, has given Mercedes the advantage.
But Wolff is also wary of Ferrari’s recent engine surge, and warned: “What is clear is that our competitors are pushing extremely hard and put up a very tough fight.
“So we need to keep our heads down, work hard to eliminate our weaknesses and further build on our strengths, and take the season race by race.”
Ferrari haven’t won at Spa-Francorchamps in almost a decade, but pushed Mercedes close last year and their engine boost, thought to be worth almost half a second on straights, should mean they are strong on a power-hungry track this weekend.
“It is very difficult to make any predictions for Spa,” Wolff added.
“If this season has taught us one thing, it is that there are no clear favourites for specific tracks anymore and that it is not always the fastest car that wins. Instead, the competitive balance seems to swing back and forth from circuit to circuit.
“2018 promises to be a season that we will still be talking about in years to come and we cannot wait to get out there and start racing again.”
F1 will be back from its summer break this weekend with the Belgian GP, live on Sky Sports F1. The race begins at 2.10pm on Sunday, August 26.
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