Italian GP: Are Ferrari Favorites? Mercedes Hope To Continue Dominance

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team principal Toto Wolff said the team were curious to see if Ferrari will hold the same pace advantage at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix this weekend like they did in Belgium on Sunday.

The Austrian admitted they were “swallowed” by the Italian team at the Belgian Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel blazed past Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap and then went on to control the race and comfortably win it.

Wolff admitted there were more than one weakness in the team and it was not only the power deficit to the Italian outfit that cost them the win at Spa Francorchamps. He also conceded Ferrari have had the faster car in recent races, but admitted he was still “curious” to see if they will have the same advantage at Monza, where Mercedes have been the dominant force in recent years.

“The last one where we have been quickest in pure pace was Silverstone,” Wolff said, as per Sky Sports. “Since then, Ferrari have been quicker.”

"Spa was always a tricky one for us in the past and Monza was a good one, so I'm very curious to see how it's going to go in Monza."

Mercedes have won the last four editions of the Italian Grand Prix with Ferrari’s last win coming in 2010. Last season Ferrari had a race to forget as their package did not have the desired affect and they will be desperate to seize control from Mercedes at their home race.

“Last year we were very much in control of the whole weekend," Wolff added. "And Ferrari had their worst weekend of the season performance wise. … I think we should still address the opportunities that exist within our car, where we need to optimise and only that will make us win the championship."

Ferrari’s performance at Spa, Belgium, and their power unit advantage will certainly make them the favorites, and this season is the first time in four seasons that another manufacturer has parity in terms of speed compared to the Mercedes.

However, Wolff believes Mercedes can close the deficit to their title rivals and confirmed that they will be bringing another upgrade to Monza in the hope of extending the 15 points lead they have on Ferrari in the Constructors’ championship.

“I would hope we have innovations on the car and on the engine," Wolff said. "Monza should be another good upgrade that we'll put on the car and this is a performance race that will be the difference between winning and losing this championship."

The Italian Grand Prix weekend will begin Friday with the cars taking the track for the first free practice session. Live coverage of the session will be available on ESPN with the session starting at 5 a.m. EDT on Friday morning.