Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has warned that, once Lewis Hamilton "smells blood", he is almost impossible to stop in an F1 title fight, with the Austrian not wanting to go up against his former driver.
Hamilton has thrust himself firmly into title contention after a run of three consecutive podiums in Canada, Monaco and Barcelona.
He secured second place in back-to-back races before claiming his first win for Ferrari in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, reducing the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 41 points after the Italian suffered a technical failure and retired.
It is the first time since 2021 that the seven-time world champion has been discussed as a genuine title contender, following a difficult four years in the ground-effect era.
The new power unit regulations have seen Hamilton return to his best, while Ferrari's most recent upgrades have helped the Scuderia move closer to Mercedes.
Asked if he would enjoy fighting Hamilton for the title this season, Wolff told select media, including RacingNews365: "I'd rather not fight against him for the title because I know what he's capable of.
"If he smells blood, he goes. I've seen it for many years, where suddenly the train — the Lewis Hamilton train — starts to roll, and then it's very difficult to stop."
Wolff is a firm believer that the 41-year-old is very much in the title fight following his emotional Barcelona victory.
What is supporting Hamilton's chances is Mercedes' regular mechanical failures, something the Silver Arrows boss knows must stop.
Discussing if Hamilton is in the championship hunt, Wolff firmly replied: "Yes, absolutely," Wolff said.
"We are so early in the season, the gap is 41 points, and you see a DNF rob you of 25 points, and it is wide open.
"That's why we can't afford not to finish, and we just need to keep putting performance on the car and then the power unit and not make mistakes, be clever with the strategy and stay absolutely on it."
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