Summer break came at the right time for Mercedes

Despite winning the two races prior to the summer break, team boss Toto Wolff says that the break came at the perfect time for the team.

The German team are locked in a battle with Ferrari for the Constructors’ Championship, a title Mercedes have had a stranglehold on for the past four years.

Ferrari on the other hand have not won the constructors’ title since 2008 and are looking to wrestle the title away from their main rivals.

It is Mercedes who lead this race ahead of the second half of the season, which starts with the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.

Mercedes boss Wolff said: “After five races in six weeks before the summer break, the shutdown came at just the right time.

“It gave us the opportunity to recharge a little and return energised for what will certainly be a hard-fought second half.”

The race for the drivers’ championship is also hotting up, with four-time champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel of Mercedes and Ferrari respectively going head to head.

Hamilton currently leads by 24 points, but Wolff expects it to go down to the wire.

He added: “Both the Drivers’ and the Constructors’ Championship are extremely tight, and I expect it to be a close battle all the way through to Abu Dhabi.”