‘The battle is by no means won’ – Wolff

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff insists this year’s title fight is not over yet, despite the defending champions entering this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix with a substantial lead in the standings.

After failing to place neither of its drivers on the podium in Hungary, Mercedes enjoyed a strong return from the F1 summer break with another dominant one-two finish at Spa, while also outscoring their closest rivals Ferrari by 27 points.

Though naturally satisfied with his team's performance, Wolff warns against complacency ahead of Monza.

“A positive weekend meant that we left Belgium with our championship position significantly strengthened,” he said.

“But the fortunes of our rivals [Kimi Raikkonen’s qualifying issue and Sebastian Vettel’s tyre failure] also played a part in that and the outcome of the race overall was a reminder that nothing can be taken for granted.”

“Top results in this sport are far more easily lost than gained - and one bad weekend can produce a big swing in points. We can be proud of what we have achieved so far this season but the battle is by no means won.”

Last year’s Italian Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton recover from a poor getaway to beat then championship leader Nico Rosberg and revive his 2014 title hopes.

Click here for Chris Medland's Italian Grand Prix preview and bold podium prediction. 

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