Russell secured pole position for the race, his third of the season, edging out Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, while teammate Antonelli qualified third. The strong grid positions have raised the prospect of a close battle between the two Mercedes drivers, prompting Wolff to outline clear expectations.

“I think they’re racing for a championship, and Kimi will want to show that he’s the one. George wants a good result to say ‘I’m the one, don’t discount me’,” Wolff said. “For me, the primary thing is no contact.”

The warning follows a recent clash between the Mercedes drivers at the Canadian Grand Prix and echoes the team’s experience in 2016, when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided at the same circuit in Spain, ending both drivers’ races.

Wolff said the opening stages of the race will be critical, particularly through the early corners at Barcelona.

“Get through Turn 1 and 2 and 3,” he said. “Then comes our famous corner… where I’ve already had two cars stranded in the gravel bed in 2016.”

Despite the risks, Wolff indicated he does not intend to impose strict team orders, instead encouraging competitive but controlled racing.

“If you think conservatively, you need to think forwards and not start protecting points,” he said, adding that Antonelli is likely to take an aggressive approach from the start.

Mercedes also faces pressure from Ferrari, with Hamilton starting second after a strong qualifying performance. Wolff acknowledged that Ferrari’s recent upgrades could pose a serious challenge.

“Our calculations showed that they’re half a second off on a single lap… here they rebounded, and I guess their upgrade is working,” Wolff said. “We’ve got to fasten our seatbelts… they are proper challengers.”

–F1/ChannelAfrica–