Singapore won't be an easy weekend for Mercedes, says team boss
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff says that the team can't take anything for granted heading into Singapore after a difficult weekend here last year.
Although the team subsequently got to the bottom of why it struggled with tires on the street course in 2016, Wolff says that it could still be a tough weekend for the team.
"No team has ever scored a 1-2 finish there, and with good reason," said the Austrian. "As we have seen before, it's a race where a single problem can cascade into many more as the weekend progresses. We have to optimize everything to get a solid result. We didn't manage it last year and, although we believe we now understand why, only performance on the racetrack can prove our conclusions right. We are curious and excited to see how it goes."
Wolff is not underestimating the opposition.
"Ferrari were mighty around this circuit last year and it will suit the high downforce design philosophy followed by Red Bull, so we must not make the mistake of thinking we are favorites this weekend. It's an exciting time for the sport and the future is looking bright. For us, we now have to get the ball over the line in both Championships while remaining conscious that next year is a very different challenge.
"For the drivers, I think their battle will go to the end and our challenge is to ensure they both have the equal opportunity to fight in terms of equipment and operations."
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton admits that he's expecting a tough weekend.
"We didn't have the greatest weekend there last year, so hopefully we're on top of that now," said the World Champion. "I guess we'll find out in a few days' time! Either way, it's not going to be an easy breezy drive. Even when we won there back in 2014, it wasn't straightforward. Ferrari and Red Bull will be on it I'm sure, so we've got a big fight on our hands if we are up at the front."
