Wolff: Vettel/Hamilton rivalry could be one of F1's greatest

Hamilton matched Vettel's career tally of 42 wins with his triumph at the Russian Grand Prix and stands on the verge of a third world championship title, which would put him one behind Vettel.

But with Ferrari making strong gains in its bid to return to title glory, Wolff thinks there is a chance the two men could be about to embark on a period where they will go head-to-head.

"They are both in very performing cars and it could be one of the great rivalries in the sport – in different teams," said Wolff.

"Lewis has his own rivalry within the team so that is good."

Ferrari battle welcome

Although Mercedes has already captured the constructors' championship this year, the fact that Vettel is now ahead of Nico Rosberg in the standings shows the progress that has been made.

And Wolff says he welcomes the fact that F1's most historic team is emerging as a force once again and making life harder.

"It is great for the sport and it is going to push us, as it is the team you want to be battling with," said Wolff.

"We expect them to be very strong next year. They showed great performance earlier than expected and again, towards the end of the race, you can see Sebastian had good pace in his car and his tyres.

"This is a good group of people with a very good car, and we are looking forward to a great fight next year."