Ferrari aren't Mercedes' only rival

Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton may have been utterly dominant for the last five years and the five-time champion is confident they can do I again.

Hamilton has won four of the last five world titles only being pipped by Nico Rosberg in 2016 at the final race in Abu Dhabi.

The Brit has comfortably beaten his main rival Vettel over the last two seasons and he’s backing him and his team to do it again.

“It’s been a difficult winter for the guys back at the factory,” he said in an interview on racefans.net.

“But if anyone can do it, I truly believe it’s my guys.

“We are the only team to have won a championship in a crossover of a rules situation.”

All the talk has been about Ferrari against Mercedes but Hamilton isn’t ruling out anyone.

“I’m competing with everyone, I don’t know who’s going to be quickest.

“I don’t know where the Red Bulls are.

“I’m hopeful that there’s going to be more teams involved. But who knows what people are going to bring up when we get to the first race.

“Right now we’re competing against our past selves as a team. We’re really trying to raise the bar in all those areas. All the engineers back in the factory are raising the bar,” added Hamilton.