Team Principal Toto Wolff reckons Mercedes need to bring their A-game at every event in order to win the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship. Mercedes head the way in the Constructors' standings but Lewis Hamilton lost his lead in the Drivers' Championship at Zandvoort when Max Verstappen won the Dutch Grand Prix. Wolff expects the pressure to soon rise even further, beginning with this weekend's race at Monza. "We have nine races to go in this championship fight and the battle is only going to get more intense, but our mission is clear," said Wolff. "Last time out at Zandvoort, we simply didn't put all the pieces together - we took some risks and gave it our best shot, but it just wasn't enough. "A double podium brought us solid and useful points, extending our Constructors' Championship advantage, but we know we need to be consistently bringing our A-game if we want to finish this season on top. "As we visit Monza to finish this triple-header, we face a completely different track and challenge, which is exciting for all of us. "It's a historic and unique circuit, with the lowest downforce levels of the season and most of the lap spent at full throttle." The Italian GP will see the second Sprint Qualifying format with a 100km race on Saturday where points will be awarded to the top three drivers. Verstappen won the inaugural Sprint Qualifying at Silverstone, beating Hamilton off the line on his way to pole position. Wolff says Mercedes have learned some lessons regarding the new format that they will take into Monza. "It's the second race weekend with the Sprint Qualifying format, so that'll add some extra spice to the mix, too," continued Wolff. "We learned lessons on the new format at Silverstone and look forward to bringing that knowledge with us into this weekend. "The atmosphere at Zandvoort was incredible, and to have so many passionate fans engaged in this sport is great to see. "While we won't have as many fans at Monza, I'm sure the atmosphere will still be great and this track always delivers thrilling F1 races, so we look set for another fun weekend of on-track action."
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