F1 2018 season could be 'legendary' - Mercedes

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolf says the Silver Arrows' battle with Ferrari and Red Bull could give the 2018 Formula 1 season "legendary" status. The reigning champions have not won any of the opening three races of the season, their worst drought in the hybrid era.

Sebastian Vettel won the opening two grands prix of the season in Australia and Bahrain before Daniel Ricciardo emerged triumphant in China last time out, with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas seeing chances to win slip through their fingers.

Mercedes top the constructors' standings by a solitary point from Ferrari, with Vettel ahead of Hamilton and Bottas in the individual charts, and Wolff expects the battles to go all the way down to the wire.

"The 2018 Formula 1 season is set to be a celebration of everything we love about motor racing," Wolff said.

"Three teams are fighting fiercely for race wins. We've witnessed exciting races with nail-biting overtakes. The fastest F1 cars in history, driven by some of the best drivers this sport has seen.

"So far, this year has all the ingredients for one of those legendary F1 seasons - a season that fans will look back on with smiles on their faces in years to come.

"And it's not just the fans at home or at the race track who are excited - we feel the same.

"And we know that we have a massive challenge on our hands. Last year, we were in a tough fight with Ferrari. However, it was nothing compared to the intensity of this year's battle.

"Both Red Bull and Ferrari will do everything they can to beat us. Their cars, their teams, their drivers - all of them operate at a high level and will continue to put us under pressure.

"Not everyone likes this kind of challenge - but we love it. Each member of our team joined this sport for these moments.

"We're all together in an amazing battle in which every detail counts and with an outcome no-one can predict."

Mercedes won on F1's first trip to Baku - the 2016 European Grand Prix - but saw Ricciardo emerge victorious in a crazy race last year, which featured three safety cars, a red flag and Vettel banging wheels with Hamilton.

Wolff added: "We're going into the race weekend in Baku feeling excited about that unpredictability.

"It will be the first time the Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place in April, with completely different conditions to the previous years when we went to the Caspian Sea in June.

"This is a demanding circuit where the drivers need confidence in the car to find the right rhythm - and you want to hit the ground running on Friday morning. Last year's race threw up a podium that nobody could have predicted and, as is the way with street courses, we can once again expect the unexpected."