Hamilton's Singapore win means nothing in Russia - Mercedes

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton's Singapore Grand Prix victory will not allow the Silver Arrow to rest easy in Russia this week. Mercedes have won all four races in Sochi since its introduction to the Formula 1 calendar, but Wolff says that form will count for little this week.

Last year's Russia race was held in April and the five-month difference is likely to produce much cooler conditions at the Sochi Autodrom, meaning teams are starting almost from scratch with performance data.

And with Ferrari enjoying a straight-line speed advantage in 2018, Wolff knows a fifth consecutive win in Sochi will be well-earned.

"We showed an excellent performance in Singapore and the victory was a fantastic reward for all the hard work that had gone into it," Wolff said.

"But it also reinforced another point: there are no easy wins this season. We have to fight hard for every bit of performance in order to have a chance to fight for victories.

"This fight will continue in Russia. The Sochi Autodrom features some interesting characteristics, particularly the long straight into Turn 2 which will make the race start very challenging.

"With the race being held in late September, we're going back to weather conditions that will be similar to those of 2014 and 2015, when the Russian Grand Prix took place in early October.

"We don't have any data from the current regulation cars in those conditions in Sochi, so this adds another challenge to the race.

"We have a good track record in Sochi but we know that Ferrari and Red Bull will give it everything to break our winning streak, so we must fight as hard as ever to make sure we bring home as many points as possible."

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