Wolff: 'I'm confident we can extend our advantage'

It seemed like the ultimate opportunity for Mercedes to be the best this season for once, but the German team ended up grabbing victory in the Singapore Grand Prix. George Russell had good papers in the closing stages of the race to take his second Formula 1 victory, until a crash into the wall in front of him ended the race. All in all: Mercedes was competitive though. The team wants to continue that line in Japan.

Looking back on the Singapore race, Toto Wolff speaks of a 'thrilling night': "Although the result wasn't quite what we were hoping for, there are plenty of positives we can take away. We were bold and aggressive with our strategy calls. The pace of the car all weekend was strong. We executed well as a team and gave it a real shot for victory as the racers we are."

Wolff satisfied with Russell's performance

So for a long time, it looked like Russell would make it onto the podium. Because of his late crash, Lewis Hamilton still moved up to place three. "It was a great drive to the podium from Lewis. He showed impressive pace throughout the race, especially the final stint. P3 was a deserved reward for his efforts. George, he'd performed faultlessly all weekend. He was giving it absolutely everything in the search for victory. That's absolutely what we want to see. It was a small mistake on the final lap and that will make it even more painful for him. I know he will bounce back strongly," said the Mercedes team boss.

In Japan, Mercedes will have another chance at victory. "Japan is always a unique event with very passionate fans. The track is incredibly challenging, and the drivers love racing on it. The margins were so close in Singapore, so we'll be aiming for another competitive showing in Suzuka."

Mercedes competing with Ferrari

If Red Bull Racing picks up one more point than Mercedes, the former will be the constructors' champion again. Mercedes is especially looking to Ferrari, which did good business in Singapore in the battle for second place in the title race. "We lost some ground in the Constructors' Championship to Ferrari at the last race. We are looking forward not back, though. Our focus is on maximising the package we have and scoring as many points as possible. If we do so, I'm confident we can extend our advantage," Wolff concluded.