Italian GP: Mercedes expecting another tough weekend on Monza power circuit

The Ferrari cars dominated the Belgium Grand Prix weekend, but Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas both climbed onto the podium as Sebastian Vettel missed out on the celebrations once again. Toto Wolff is expecting another tricky weekend as the Monza track layout suits the Ferrari. 

"We don't expect the Italian Grand Prix to be an easy weekend. Monza is 'the' power circuit in F1, that rewards high power and low drag. While we have had the fastest overall package on the grid this season, it's not ideal for a track where straight-line speed is a key performance differentiator," Wolff said in a Mercedes press release. 

It's clear Ferrari's race pace isn't as strong as their single lap speed. During qualifying, the Ferrari cars locked out the front row of the grid. They also bagged P1 and P2 in all three practice sessions. Wolff draws on this point as he tries to keep hopeful of another Mercedes victory in Italy. 

"However, we've also seen that the Ferraris look mighty at high-speed tracks on Saturdays, but don't look quite as strong on Sundays - and that's when the points are won. We will not be favorites in Italy, but we will do everything we can to take the fight to the red team this weekend. Monza is a very special event thanks to the historic track and the fantastic atmosphere; you don't have to be a Ferrari fan to appreciate the great passion of the Tifosi," Wolff added. 

There's also a high chance of rain forecast for the Italian Grand Prix. As we saw in Germany, this provides a leveler across all teams.