Wolff: Looks like we will have a proper fight on our hands

It's a remarkable accomplishment by a truly remarkable team, arguably the strongest ever assembled and certainly up there with the great McLaren team of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost or the golden era at Ferrari with Michael Schumacher.

At the same time, 2019 might well be the season in which the mighty Silver Arrows meet their match. Wolff and his team expect a huge battle with Ferrari and maybe Red Bull as they set off to defend their 2018 titles at this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

In a team report previewing Round 1, Wolff declared. "It's finally time to go racing again. Everyone in Brackley and Brixworth has poured so much effort and commitment into this new car, so we're excited to finally see it compete on track in Melbourne."

"Last year, we had to give it absolutely everything to come out on top. From what we have learned so far, this year will be even tougher. It will push us to our limits - and that's an exciting prospect for every single one of us."

Offering the slightest hint that their W10 package is undergoing a 'difficult birth' ahead of the new season, Wolff said, "Judging from the performance in Barcelona, it looks like we will have a proper fight on our hands in Melbourne."

"But an F1 season is not just about who comes out of the blocks quickest; under new regulations like we have this year, it is about who is able to adapt best to the new rules and the new tyres and all the challenges that we will have to master during the year."

"The most adaptable and agile team will come out on top this season. We have shown in the past that we are fast and flexible and that we can handle every curveball thrown at us."

"We're ready for the fight and look forward to the crazy rollercoaster of a new F1 season," added Wolff whose team has racked up 72 victories during the past five years of this turbo hybrid era.