Wolff sees all three front-running engines as evenly matched

40

Toto Wolff believes that Mercedes' power unit which has dominated F1 since the advent of the hybrid era has practically been matched by that of its rivals Ferrari and Renault.

The German manufacturer introduced its latest-spec engine in France last weekend, a slightly improved unit that powered Lewis Hamilton to his 65th career win in F1.

Wolff however disputed the notion that Mercedes was now once again above its rivals in terms of sheer power output.

Valtteri Bottas: 'A day that in a way sums up my season'

"When you look at yesterday's data, the quickest car on the straight was Kimi, but we believe he was maybe running a different aero configuration," said Wolff.

"I believe that all three power units are pretty close together, between Renault, Ferrari and ourselves at the moment.

"It's about finding gains without compromising reliability. That's the trick. That fight is going to continue until the end of the season."

Mercedes new engine wasn't given a clean bill of health in France however. The new-spec unit, which was initially scheduled to appear in Canada but delayed because of a 'quality' problem, encountered a problem on Friday when Valtteri Bottas suffered a water leak.

But in Sunday's race, Force India's Sergio Perez was sidelined after 27 laps by a hydraulics issue, a failure that igniting concerns in the Mercedes camp.

"Yes, because with a new power unit, you are always listening very carefully and looking at the data what is happening, and one of the six power units had a problem, which we understand was a water leak.

"Loss of water pressure. So we pitted the car. But you're listening very carefully what is happening to your own engines."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.