F1
ESPN staff 7y

Toto Wolff: Ferrari, Mercedes battle has revived my love for Formula One

Formula 1, AutoRacing

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says this year's intense battle with Ferrari has helped him "re-discover" his love for Formula One.

Following three years of Mercedes domination between 2014 and 2016, Ferrari has made significant ground on its rivals thanks to a successful transition into F1's new aerodynamic regulations. As a result, Mercedes and Ferrari have been battling it out for wins early on in the year, with Sebastian Vettel leading Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' world championship by just six points after five races.

Reigning world champions Mercedes holds a slender eight point advantage in the constructors' standings, having taken three victories to Ferrari's two. Hamilton triumphed last time out in Spain to secure his second win of the season and close the gap to Vettel, who has the same number of victories. Wolff says he is relishing the "fierce" fight at the front of the F1 pecking order.

"The last three years were extraordinary but this season I have re-discovered why I love the sport," Wolff explained. "I love the intense competition. This competition means that you won't be winning easily -- but that you'll have a fierce fight on your hands.

"Because of that, the feeling is even greater when you manage to come out on top, as we did in Spain. If we get the job done in Monaco, I'm pretty sure we'll bring down the garage roof. We're all properly fired up for this fight, so let's see what we can do. It's always good to come away from a race weekend with a points advantage, no matter how small. But the gap is just that: very small.

"We are in a massive fight with Ferrari. On one side, this is very exciting and challenging. But, on the other side, it is going to stretch us to our limits. You cannot base your current assessment on the balance of power on just Barcelona."

While Mercedes' radically modified W08 appeared to have a slight edge over Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix, Wolff is expecting this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix to pose a completely different challenge for the three time world champions.

"We expect Monaco to be a completely different ball game to Barcelona. The circumstances, working environment and driving challenges are completely different to anywhere else -- and you need to get everything exactly right if you want to perform to your maximum around those streets.

"Not every factor is under your control, either, so you need to turn fortune in your favour at the right time if you want everything to come together. Every weekend will push us to the limit; this is the new reality of Formula One in 2017."

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