Mercedes estimates chances: 'Gets exciting, even before we factor in the weather'

Despite having to settle for second and fifth starting positions on Saturday, Andrew Shovlin, technical director at the team, doesn't see the chances of winning going away just yet. He predicts that the Silver Arrows will be in a good bargaining position in the long stint, and also expects the weather to play a part this afternoon.

"It felt like pole was just out of our reach today but the drivers did a good job and we ran the session well so we can't be too disappointed," Shovlin stated during the post-qualifying press conference.

"Valtteri recovered from a difficult afternoon yesterday and did a good job to get second. It's a shame that he's got the three-place penalty but he did everything possible to put him in a strong position for the race tomorrow and has a lot of opportunities being surrounded by soft runners," Shovlin continued. "Lewis has had an interesting weekend exploring new setup directions which has ultimately benefited both drivers."

With Hamilton on the front row of the grid, the technical director still sees chances for Mercedes to take the win. "We've got a good opportunity tomorrow from the front row and a car that was working well on the long run on Friday. It should be an interesting race with a few different strategies and that's even before we factor in the weather which could be quite exciting."