Shovlin less confident than Wolff: "Will likely need to win both races"

Lewis Hamilton is ecstatic after his win in Qatar, but Mercedes are moderately satisfied. The German team failed to score any points with Valtteri Bottas, while Red Bull Racing had both drivers in the top four. With Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez scoring well, Mercedes' lead has shrunk to five points in the constructors' championship. Chief engineer Andrew Shovlin leaves the Qatar Grand Prix with mixed feelings.

"A mixed bag today, Shovlin said in the Mercedes press release. "On one hand, Lewis showed what he and the car can do over a Saturday and Sunday, his margin in qualifying was truly impressive and even in the race, he only had to do what was required to hold the gap."

Shovlin less confident than Wolff

"Valtteri on the other hand had a tough day; we thought he'd be P5 to start which meant the good side but as we were leaving to go to the grid, a second document came out that put us a place further back on the dirty side," continued the Brit.

Shovlin is less confident than Toto Wolff, who guaranteed to come with a 'super engine' at the next race in Saudi Arabia. "It's going to be tight, but we've got a car that is capable of doing the job and that's giving us great encouragement. We'll likely need to win both races, but we've got good reason to think our strong form from here can carry into the next two. It's a big push to the finish from here but we're looking forward to the fight and can't wait to get back on track in Saudi Arabia," said Shovlin.