Team boss Toto Wolff has urged Mercedes to match Ferrari's recent gains in engine performance, and says he is not willing to accept that the Italian manufacturer has taken the upper hand in terms of power output.
Mercedes dominated the first three seasons under the current turbo hybrid regulations, but in the past two years Ferrari has made steady progress to close the gap. Evidence from recent races suggests Ferrari is now ahead in terms of engine performance, giving its drivers a distinct advantage on the straights at the last three rounds.
It is not yet clear how Ferrari has unlocked so much extra performance in such a small amount of time, but Wolff says he will not be satisfied until his team has come up with a response.