Mercedes and customers move on to new power units in Canada

The Mercedes squad and its customer teams are scheduled to take on their second complete power unit ahead of the seventh round of the F1 world championship in Montreal.

This year's engine rules limit drivers to just three engines for the entire campaign, a stringent restriction that forces everyone to stretch the durability of their units to the max.

"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," said wolff in the Silver Arrows Canadian Grand Prix preview.

"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."

• Wolff provides reassurances on Mercedes' future

Wolff believes Mercedes moves on to a circuit that better suits its W09, after a weekend of 'damage limitation in Monaco, and one on which Lewis Hamilton in particular has enjoyed great success.

The four-time world champion totals six wins at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve since 2007 and remains unbeaten since 2015.

"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 the Austrian.

"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."

Montreal has often delivered unexpected or thrilling racing, and Wolff is expecting more of the same next weekend.

"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."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter