Toto Wolff strapped in for "close battle" through the rest of 2018

Toto Wolff has admitted that he is preparing himself for a battle that will last until the end of the season. Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton are fighting hard against rivals Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel as the season resumes this weekend.

Ferrari seemingly had the upper hand during the triple-header, but Hamilton won the final two races before the summer break giving himself a 24 point lead. Wolff knows that this lead isn't a big enough cushion, and the guys in Brackley can't afford to lift off.

"What is clear is that our competitors are pushing extremely hard and put up a very tough fight," the Mercedes team principal told Sky Sports.

"So we need to keep our heads down, work hard to eliminate our weaknesses and further build on our strengths, and take the season race by race."

Wolff refuses to label any team as favourites for the race at Spa-Francorchamps. He tells us to expect another fascinating race to add to one of the best seasons in modern F1.

"It's very difficult to make any predictions for Spa," Wolff added.

"If this season has taught us one thing, it's that there are no clear favourites for specific tracks anymore and that it's not always the fastest car that wins. Instead, the competitive balance seems to swing back and forth from circuit to circuit.

"2018 promises to be a season that we will still be talking about in years to come and we can't wait to get out there and start racing again."