Wolff: 'This is exactly the way we want it in F1'

The title race of the 2021 Formula 1 season has so far been a battle between Max Verstappen and Mercedes. One moment the driver of Red Bull Racing seems to have the upper hand, but the next moment it is Lewis Hamilton who is on pole position again, just like in Spain.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, was not confident about a good result for his team either. Verstappen had already shown his skills in the third free practice session and his time in Q2 was also impressive. Wolff was surprised that Hamilton managed to finish the race.

Two against one

"It looked like Max and Red Bull had a big lead in Q2, but we kept working on it and in the end, the top three drivers were within a tenth of a second of each other; exactly how we want it in F1, fighting for every thousandth of a second," the Austrian told Sky Sports.

Indeed, it's been a while since the two top teams have been so close. The only difference is between the second drivers. While Bottas can keep up with Hamilton, Verstappen has to fight it out on his own. Wolff knows better than anyone what an advantage that is: "That gives us a strategic opportunity and we need to use that during the race."