Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Ferrari is the clear favourite to win the Chinese Grand Prix due to what he feels is an unmatched level of performance from its engine.
Ferrari dominated the second race of the season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, on raw performance but still watched Mercedes record a one-two victory. Charles Leclerc was robbed of a maiden win when a cylinder failed on his V6 engine shortly after teammate Sebastian Vettel had been relegated down the order by a spin.
Mercedes has been convinced since the early stages of pre-season testing that Ferrari has an advantage and Wolff believes this will become even more apparent in Shanghai, a circuit featuring long straights which favour a powerful engine.