It is fair to say that probably the only people that seriously believe Ferrari can still win the drivers' or constructors' championship with four races remaining and a huge deficit, are Mercedes and their boss Toto Wolff.
Heading to Austin for the United States Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton leads the drivers' championship by 67 points over Sebastian Vettel, while Mercedes are ahead of Ferrari by 78 points in the constructors' title race.
Even the Scuderia's chief Maurizio Arrivabene has called the task ahead as their "mission impossible" but Wolff and his team remain on high-alert, "The battle is far from over."
"We approach Austin the same way as every other race: take it one step at a time, focus on our job and make sure we bring performance and reliability to the track."
"We could not have asked for a better result from the back-to-back races in Russia and Japan. We were able to extend our lead in both championships and the entire team delivered to a very high level.
"While we didn't have the fastest car in the summer, we've seen the performance swing in our favour recently; however, it is closer than it looked in recent races."
"Ferrari have a strong car and they will keep on pushing until the very last corner in Abu Dhabi. They have been worthy opponents in the past 17 races and we have no reason to believe that this will change in the next four; just like us, they will fight fiercely for every point and position."
"The Circuit of the Americas has been a good track for us ever since it was introduced in the F1 calendar, but past results have no impact on the current championship. Everyone in the team knows that we cannot take anything for granted, so we will be as diligent as ever, keep our heads down and work hard to get a good result in Texas."
"This championship fight has been exhilarating and we can't wait for the next chapter in the epic battle of silver and red," concluded Wolff.
How Hamilton can seal the deal in Austin on 21 October:
- If he wins and Vettel is third or lower;
- If he is second and Vettel is fifth or lower;
- If he is third and Vettel is seventh or lower;
- If he is fourth and Vettel is eighth or lower;
- If he is fifth and Vettel is ninth or lower;
- If he is sixth and Vettel is 10th or lower;
- However, if Hamilton is seventh or lower the fight goes on to Mexico.
Big Question: Will Mercedes lose the championship/s this year?
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