Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insists it is dangerous to assume Mercedes will have the advantage over Ferrari at the power-hungry Monza circuit during this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
The Silver Arrows have been marginally ahead of their title rivals in the engine department, so should have the edge at the so-called ‘Cathedral of Speed’, however, they were also tipped as the favourites last time out at Spa and, while Lewis Hamilton won the race, a charging Sebastian Vettel applied intense pressure.
Wolff is expecting a similar “dog fight” at the Scuderia’s home race, pointing out that they will excel through the many low-speed corners.
“We said before Spa that it’s dangerous to make assumptions this year and the race weekend demonstrated why that’s the case,” he said. “It was a dog fight with Ferrari and, although we came out on top, we did so by a small margin only. We can expect the same kind of close battle at every race this year.
“There will be no races where it is a walk in the park and we are ready for an epic battle all the way to the finish line in Abu Dhabi.
“Monza is a circuit that has been good to us in recent years,” he continued. “It rewards low drag and peak power, both of which are among the strengths of our package; but braking stability and low-speed grip are also crucial through the chicanes.
“These are areas where Ferrari has held an advantage and the team that finds the best overall compromise will come out on top.”
Many teams, particularly down the grid, will now be turning their attentions to their 2018 cars, but Wolff has stressed that Mercedes remain fully-focused on this year’s title scrap, despite potentially risking falling behind next year.
“This is often the time of year when thoughts turn to the following season but our mission is clear: to win before and after a major regulation change,” the Austrian stated. “Nobody said it would be easy and it is stretching our limits in every direction.
“We are still pushing hard with our development to squeeze every last bit of performance from the W08.”
