Mercedes' Wolff says Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas and Raikkonen all "capable of winning the race"; Is Ferrari's race pace their ace card? Sunday's Belgian GP starts at 1pm on Sky F1
Monday 28 August 2017 08:18, UK
Toto Wolff says Mercedes are being "kept on their toes" by Ferrari and believes four drivers - Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen - can win Sunday's Belgian GP.
Lewis Hamilton broke Spa-Francorchamps' ultimate lap record to claim the 68th pole of his career - matching Michael Schumacher's all-time landmark - but Vettel was just two tenths slower thanks to an impressive final lap.
Hamilton claims record-equalling pole position
While the championship leader was aided by a tow from team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, the gap between the two leading teams has been within three tenths all weekend.
Ferrari also showed impressive long-run pace on Friday and Mercedes boss Wolff says they cannot afford to ease up.
"We've not been surprised [by how close Ferrari have been] because they are pushing very hard. I think it's a reminder again that you need to continue to leave no stone unturned," Wolff told reporters.
"I don't know what the real gap would have been in qualifying but Lewis drove a brilliant lap, Seb had a bit of a tow at the end which was maybe worth a tenth or two so maybe the gap could have been four or five tenths.
"But considering it was an exceptional lap, it's still something which keeps us on our toes.
"I think tomorrow will be pretty exciting because all four drivers have a car capable of winning the race."
Hamilton is also expecting a fierce battle with Mercedes' season-long rivals over Sunday's longer race distance.
"It's going to be tight," said the polesitter. "Ferrari's race pace looked good yesterday, so I think it will be a lot closer [in the race]."
It was Vettel's long-run pace on Friday which first caught Mercedes' eye and the Ferrari driver believes his team are in better shape for the Grand Prix itself.
"The pace has been good this weekend. Less for one lap, more for long run," said the 14-point title leader. "Now we hope to confirm that."
Ferrari faster in race trim but far slower over one lap?
Pirelli's decision to bring the three softest compounds in their tyre range - the ultrasofts, supersofts and softs - to Spa this weekend has added another intriguing element to the battle at the front.
In Friday practice, Ferrari appeared to hold a slight advantage on long-run pace but did the majority of their running on supersofts whereas Mercedes preferred the softs.
"It will be tricky with the tyres," said Raikkonen, who had been Ferrari's lead runner up to Q3 before slipping to fourth after an error on his final lap. "Nobody knows exactly what is the best way or how the tyres will last."
However, Saturday's qualifying result may have flattered Ferrari - at least in terms of their gap to Mercedes - after Vettel estimated the aerodynamic tow given to him by Raikkonen on his final flying lap, when he leapt from a provisional fifth to second, was worth two tenths. If accurate, Vettel would have been beaten by half a second in normal conditions.
"I made a mistake and l was coming back to the pits," explained Raikkonen. "If l can help the team l will do it, and it cost me absolutely nothing. There was no other stories behind it. Don't try to make a stupid story out of it."
But is pole at Spa less important?
A Mercedes driver has won the last two Belgian GPs from pole position but the advantage of starting at the head of the grid at Spa is undoubtedly not as great as at some other circuits.
The long, mostly flat-out uphill run from the first corner, the La Source hairpin, to Les Combes at Turn Five often presents the car behind with a realistic chance to draft past the leader.
"The start is a crucial part of it, coming out of Eau Rouge provides an opportunity and from then on things become more difficult," Wolff said. "I'm just excited, in a positive way.
"We know there are tracks where we have had deficits in the past and one of these comes soon [in Singapore] so this is where we need to be strong, improve and understand the car and perform well."
Hamilton, aiming to cut Vettel's 14-point championship lead on Sunday, nonetheless believes "pole is still the best position to start from".
"I will try to make it work," he declared.
Can Vettel catch Hamilton at Spa?
Hamilton finished the qualifying session two tenths of a second clear of Vettel, despite the help from Raikkonen towards the end of the German's lap.
But while Friday's second practice session was ended early by heavy rain in Belgium, the Sky F1 pundits believe Vettel showed enough to suggest he can more than take the fight to Hamilton come lights out.
"What we did see in that shortened session on Friday was that on the race fuel and tyres, Vettel looked superb," said ex-Williams technical chief Pat Symonds.
"To get that close to pole and then have that race pace, I think we've got a good fight on."
And 1996 world champion Damon Hill added: "We've got a serious race on our hands."
Analysing the race pace
Of course, in a practice session it's always unclear what the fuel loads are, or what programmes teams are running. But in the race sim laps Vettel completed in Practice Two, his pace was certainly impressive.
Vettel clocked a 1:50.121, 1:49.692, 1:49.609 and 1:50.479 with his four competitive efforts - his best time some 0.8 seconds quicker than Hamilton's.
Pole-sitter Hamilton was consistently in the mid-1:50s, along with Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Raikkonen.
