Toto Wolff discussed how the set up of the car has led to better results for Mercedes so far this weekend.
“It's very difficult to assess. We've made a leap and are definitely much better than last year but it's so close between the top 8, I think the result flatters us a bit at the moment,” Wolff said to Sky Germany after FP3.
“We tried to do something completely different, like how we might set up the car for the race. We looked less at the simulator and more in a different direction.
“But it's still too early. It looks a lot better at first glance, but we'll have to see how it goes in qualifying and then in the race. A good step but not yet good enough for a podium.
Despite Mercedes’ improvements Wolff remained realistic about the opportunities for the team this weekend.
“This is Max's track and last year he crushed everything,” he added.
“I think it will be very close between the top 6, maybe even the top 7 with Alonso, but Max will be at the front and then maybe everything within two tenths.”