Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and other Mercedes customer drivers will get an upgraded AMG EQ+ engine for the Canadian Grand Prix, says team principal Toto Wolff. But will this be enough to stop the Ferrari cars?

In 2018, each driver can take up to three power units without penalty and the teams have to manage their engines to last at least seven races per unit.

Canada’s Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is one of the most power hungry circuits owing to its long straights. Most manufacturers have thought this is the best time to introduce the second power unit of the season.

The German outfit is expected to bring a few important upgrades to its latest version as it tries hard to beat Ferrari’s upper hand this season. Wolff believes it’s a three-way fight this year, so there is no time to sit idly despite the historic results at the circuit.

“Canada marks the one-third point of the 2018 season. After six races, we can see that we are in a stronger position in both Championships than we were 12 months ago.

“But we also know that the battle is fiercer, with ourselves, Ferrari and Red Bull in the contention for race wins every weekend; there is not a moment to relax.

“We expect a number of teams to take their scheduled second power units this weekend, including all the Mercedes-powered cars, and we are pushing hard to bring more performance to the car as soon as possible.

“It will be a close-fought weekend – as it has been at every race so far this year. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Unlike Monaco, the Montreal track is well suited to the strengths of the German cars and so fans can expect better performance, Wolff assured.

“Monaco was a weekend of damage limitation for us – we headed there expecting to have the third fastest car and that’s how it proved,” said Wolff.

“In recent years, Mercedes has performed well in Montreal – and it’s one of Lewis [Hamilton’s] most successful circuits, too.

“However, past performances bring no guarantee of success this year. We will need to make sure we get the most from all the tyre compounds, including the Hypersoft if we want to come out on top this weekend.”

According to the Austrian, the races at Barcelona and Monaco did not have a lot of action. But Montreal will be different and will provide a lot of action and overtakes.

“Montreal is a venue that almost always delivers an action-packed race,” added Wolff. “It’s a circuit where overtaking is relatively straightforward, speeds are high, and the cars are pushed to their limits.

“Likewise, the concrete walls punish any mistakes heavily but the drivers need the confidence to use all of the track in qualifying when it usually comes down to very small margins around a short lap.”