Mercedes keeps its mindset - still a challenger in Bahrain

©Mercedes

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the Silver Arrows outfit hasn't changed its mindset since its victory in Melbourne, heading to Bahrain in the role of challenger relative to arch-rival Ferrari.

Thanks to a flawless performance Down Under from Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes squad bagged the maximum number of points.

However, Wolff admitted to have been surprised by Red Bull and Honda's level of performance, while Ferrari's disappointment is seen as a special one-off case by the Austrian.

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"Claiming the maximum 44 points race from the first race was a fantastic result, we could not have asked for a better start to the season," said Wolff.

"But the fight has only just begun: Ferrari will try everything they can to hit back and Melbourne showed that Red Bull will have something to say in the fight, too.

"We've seen the potential of Ferrari's package in Barcelona, so we expect them to come back strong in Bahrain, with Red Bull in the mix as well.

"After the Barcelona test, we felt that we were the challengers. Whatever the Melbourne result says, our mindset hasn't changed since then.

"One race doesn't determine the pecking order for the rest of the season."

©Mercedes

Given the stark contrasts that exist between Albert Park and the Sakhir circuit, Wolff is expecting to see a very different event next weekend in the Bahrain desert.

"We will see a very different race in Bahrain, where the weekend presents unique challenges, especially the change in conditions between the sessions," says the Austrian.

"FP1 and FP3 take place in the middle of the day when both the air and the track can be very hot; FP2, qualifying and the race on the other hand are held in the evening in considerably cooler temperatures.

"These temperature swings make it very tricky to set up the car and find the right configuration for the sessions that really count."

Regardless of the conditions that will prevail in Bahrain, Mercedes knows it will need once again to bring it’s A-game to the second round of the world championship.

"We need to extract every bit of performance from our package and keep on working hard to improve the car over the weekend to be competitive," concludes Wolff.

"We've had some great racing in recent years in Bahrain, so I'm looking forward to an exciting weekend."

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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.