Valtteri Bottas “driving better than ever” in F1 - Toto Wolff

Bottas enjoyed one of his strongest weekends as a Mercedes driver at Monza last time out, securing top spot in qualifying before dominating the sprint race.

The Finn was forced to start from the back of the grid after taking penalties for a new engine, but cut his way through the field with ease to finish third.

Speaking ahead of the Russian Grand Prix, Wolff said: “Last year, this race was one of the first to welcome fans back to the grandstands and it was incredible to feel the passion and buzz of the crowds again.

“We've just been treated to fantastic support in Spa, Zandvoort and Monza, and this weekend will be no different. Our aim is to pull together a strong weekend, starting in FP1 and building one session at a time. Lewis is in the tenth championship battle of his F1 career, and he is laser-focused on what he needs to deliver in the next eight races.

“As for Valtteri, he's driving better than ever, like we saw in Monza - and he will be flat out every weekend. There's a calm determination about the team right now and the business end of a season, fighting for championships, is exactly what we enjoy the most.”

Mercedes has an incredible record in Russia, winning every race since 2014.

Despite its strong record at Sochi, Wolff is anticipating “another intense weekend”.

“After a demanding and intense triple-header, we are re-energised and ready to go," added Wolff. “Last time out in Monza was bittersweet - a commanding performance and strong result for Valtteri but a feeling of missed points for Lewis, who had the potential to fight for the win.

“The pleasing thing is that the W12 looks competitive and with just eight races to go, now is the time to use our experience and focus on the details and processes which will get us over the line. We're looking forward to racing again in Russia, it is a circuit we've gone well at over the years and both our drivers have enjoyed great results in Sochi.

“We're hoping to continue our run of success in Russia but know that this year is an entirely different beast, and we're expecting another intense weekend.”