The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team will need to maximise what it has this year in order to come out on top against the challenge from Scuderia Ferrari, according to Toto Wolff.
The two teams have shared out the victories so far in 2017, with Sebastian Vettel winning for Ferrari in Australia before Mercedes came back fighting last weekend in China with Lewis Hamilton taking the win, and Wolff, the Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, reckons the two teams are evenly matched this season.
As a result, the fact that Mercedes currently lead the Constructors’ Championship by a solitary point means very little, and Wolff says that the team will need to avoid any mistakes and continue the development of their W08.
“China was a great way to hit back in the battle with Ferrari,” said Wolff. “We are very close on pace and I expect a bit of a ping-pong battle through the season, depending on the track. That’s exciting for everyone.
“What we have in 2017 is the perfect situation for the fans and also for us as a team. We are all racers and we are all properly excited for this fight.
“Two races into the season and now it is 1:1 between Mercedes and Ferrari. And after racing on a very different circuit, in very different conditions, it’s clear that we are very closely matched – and that small margins will make the difference.
“Our one point lead in the constructors’ championship is anything but a comfortable margin. We need to – and we will – keep working with everything we have got to develop our car, correct our errors and continue improving. Our mindset is that of the underdog – not the Champion. And the fight has just begun…”
