Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes Lewis Hamilton will face a tough challenge from new teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Bottas was named as Nico Rosberg's replacement this week after Mercedes negotiated a deal to release him from his Williams contract. He faces his toughest challenge yet by going up against three-time champion Hamilton, but Wolff is confident his new recruit is up to the job.
"Lewis is probably the best driver in the world at the moment -- so much talent, so much speed -- if he gets it together on a weekend he is almost unbeatable," the Mercedes boss told Sky Sports. "But Valtteri has all the ingredients and we haven't seen him in a car capable of challenging for championships -- that's a different step. Some drivers have developed in the right direction, some not and I think certainly Valtteri can give him a run for his money."
Mercedes struggled to manage the relationship between Hamilton and Rosberg at times during their four years as teammates, but Wolff believes his new pairing will work well for the team.
"They are very different. Not in the same way Nico and Lewis were, but Lewis wears his heart on his sleeve and is passionate and emotional as a driver and Valtteri is on the other end. As a Finn, he is very, I would say, almost shy and timid -- and as a team you have to have the best of both worlds.
"Lewis and I had a very good conversation after the end of the season and it all got very intense towards the end of the season, with obviously a disappointing end to his campaign. You guys in the media need to create some stories so it's always good to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and reassess what we can do better next year. The conversation was very amicable and we both enjoyed it.
"In terms of the relationship, Lewis said to me that he actually gets on very well with Valtteri. His used to working with Finns after being with Aki [Hintsa] for a long time, so I think the combination of the two works well for the team."