Though not going 'full underdog', Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, insists that his team's 1-2 in Russia doesn't change the fact that Ferrari currently appears to have the strongest car.

In anticipation of another tough weekend in Suzuka - even though Mercedes has won the Japanese Grand Prix every year since the hybrid formula was introduced in 2014 - the Austrian reveals that the W10 will feature some "minor upgrades".

"Claiming a 1-2 in Sochi after three races without a win was a great feeling," he admits. "We delivered a strong race in Russia, made the most of our opportunities and both Lewis and Valtteri drove flawlessly.

"We brought home 44 points, built the gap in both championships and are highly motivated to keep our foot on the throttle for the remaining five races.



"However, the win in Sochi doesn't change the fact that Ferrari had a stronger start to the second part of the season than we did," he continues. "We'll bring some minor upgrades to the car in Japan which will hopefully help us take a step in the right direction; however, we know that we need to extract absolutely everything from our car and the tyres if we want to be able to challenge for a win.

"The next race takes us to the iconic Suzuka Circuit with its exhilarating corner sequences and highly enthusiastic fans. We have a strong track record there, having won every Japanese Grand Prix in the hybrid era, but we expect this year to be challenging given the strength of our opponents. It will be a very close battle on track - and one that we very much look forward to. Our targets for the final quarter of the season is clear and it's up to us to make sure we achieve them."