F1: Wolff Expects Tricky Race For Mercedes, Ferrari Favored In Singapore

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team principal Toto Wolff accepted Mercedes are in for a tricky time when the Formula 1 season resumes in Singapore this weekend.

The Silver Arrows team took a commanding lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ championship with a 1-2 finish at the recent Italian Grand Prix — a race the latter was favorite to win.

Lewis Hamilton also holds a healthy 30-point advantage over title rival Sebastian Vettel going into the final seven races of the season. The Mercedes driver won his sixth race of the campaign at Monza despite the Ferrari driver starting on the front row.

Ferrari were the architects of their own downfall in Italy and they now have a monumental task ahead of them if they were to dethrone the reigning four-time consecutive champions.

Wolff credited his team’s hard work for their win in Italy and admitted despite them entering the weekend as the second favorites, their recent record at Monza, which has seen them win every race there since 2014, played a role in their success.

"The result in Italy was a great reward for everyone in the team who has been working tirelessly to improve our performance," Wolff was quoted as saying on Mercedes-AMG F1’s official site.

"We knew that the race in Monza would be another big challenge for us, after the defeat in Spa, but we managed to prevail through a combination of individual skill and fantastic teamwork. …. However, we also know that we've been strong at Monza in recent years and the track characteristics make the Italian Grand Prix a bit of an outlier,” he added.

However, the Mercedes chief is not as confident ahead of the race in Singapore as it has been a difficult place for the Silver Arrows team since 2015. Hamilton did win the race in 2017, but that was only due to Vettel, his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen crashing out on the opening lap.

Hamilton and Bottas started from the third row last season, and they are again likely to struggle as their car is not suited to the tight and twisty street track in Singapore. Ferrari will start as the favorites yet again, but seeing as how unpredictable the season has been thus far, Wolff admitted it was “meaningless” to make one at this point.

"Singapore, on the other hand, has features that we've struggled with in the past. The short straights, the slow, tight corners and the bumpy surface all make the Marina Bay Street Circuit one of the trickiest tracks of the season for us,” Wolff said.

"In 2015, we endured one of our most painful experiences in recent years there. Last year, we started the race from the third row - and came home with a win and a third place."

"On paper, the track should favour the Ferraris, but the Championship fight is so close that predictions are almost meaningless," the Mercedes chief explained.