Wolff: Assumptions are dangerous

After the high of successive victories in Austria and Britain, Mercedes were brought down to earth when Ferrari scored a one-two in Hungary last time out and as the 2017 Formula 1 season resumes in Belgium many expect the Silver Arrows to bounce back at the daunting and fast Spa-Francorchamps, but team chief Toto Wolff is taking nothing for granted.

Speaking ahead of Round 12 of the championship, Wolff said, "On paper, people will assume that Spa should suit our car because it is a circuit where aerodynamic efficiency is extremely important. But assumptions are dangerous - we have seen too many times already this season that the form book can be rewritten from one weekend to the next."

"From what we have seen in the first half of the season, the competitive balance will swing one way and another from circuit to circuit. Red Bull will be a threat if they can build on the performance they showed in Hungary."

"So we need to keep our heads down, stay humble regarding our strengths, diligent about our weaknesses and take the season weekend by weekend. The motivation and determination in the factory are greater than ever."

Prior to 2017 Mercedes notched up six F1 world titles in three years with little opposition, but this year Ferrari have challenged their dominance and it is a two horse race. The German team had issues with their W08 chassis, which they themselves dubbed a diva.

Wolff explained, "It hasn't been easy sailing. We have learned hard lessons, grown strong as a group and there are still many areas for us to keep improving."

"It was clear to all of us that 2017 would be a very different season to the three that came before. Then, we had the luxury of a performance advantage to the rest of the field, which meant our two drivers were fighting for the title between themselves."

"For this year, the rules were changed to reset the competitive balance across the field. And it worked. For the first time ever, the champion team has maintained its status as a pacesetter after a big rule change and we are proud that we laid down that marker."

"But that is now history. We have been joined by Ferrari and also Red Bull as the season has developed. This is the new reality we are racing in now and we are open-minded enough to adapt our approach to those new circumstances."

Despite the challenges, Wolff is adamant that adding another two titles to their trophy cabinet is still the goal, "Our targets remain the same as they were before the first race: to win both championships. History has shown that the fastest car usually brings you the drivers' title; and the best and most consistent driver pairing wins you the constructors'."

"So the priorities are clear: we must keep bringing performance to the car at every race - and keep racing without mistakes to maximise our performance potential at every track," concluded Wolff.

With nine races to go Mercedes have a handy 39 points lead in the constructors' standings, but Lewis Hamilton trails Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the drivers' championship by 14 points, with Valtteri Bottas 33 points adrift.