Mercedes executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe expects his team to be part of "an intense battle" with Ferrari and Red Bull at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Neither Mercedes driver finished the last race in Barcelona as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided on the opening lap, with a four-way fight for the win ensuing between the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers. Max Verstappen eventually came out on top in a display of progress being made by Red Bull this season, and a Renault power unit upgrade could further strengthen the team's competitiveness.
Lowe believes the external threat allied with an ultrasoft tyre compound which Mercedes has yet to run means the team has a fight on its hands for victory this weekend.
"Monaco is a unique circuit requiring unique characteristics from the car, so you can never approach this race with absolute confidence in the performance of your package," Lowe said. "That confidence is something which may only grow through the weekend, as the team fine-tunes the car and the drivers dial themselves in to the track.
"Of all the circuits on the calendar, this is the one where practice is most crucial. If the drivers are to get that ultimate qualifying lap, which is so important given the difficulty in overtaking around Monaco, they need all the track time they can get to find their rhythm.
"A lap around this circuit requires inch-perfect positioning of the car at every corner - each of which leaves no room for error. It's a track where driver skill very much comes to the fore - although, as always, the team plays a crucial role in ensuring the car is adapted to the specific demands of the circuit and gives the driver confidence to find the limits.
"This weekend sees the first appearance of the Ultra Soft tyre - which will be particularly interesting given that even the Super Soft has arguably been too hard for this circuit in recent years. We're looking forward to seeing what kind of lap time improvement that might bring - and perhaps even a new lap record.
"It's set to be an intense battle between ourselves, Ferrari and Red Bull, so we'll need a perfect weekend to come out on top."
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