Mercedes boss Wolff sees Hamilton danger after Ferrari star's win in Spain

[p]Sunday's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix saw the seven-time ‌world champion take a first win for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ferrari/dEPtUBGB/"]Ferrari[/a] since joining in January last year and left him ‌second overall and 41 points behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mercedes-amg-team-gruppem-racing/nDp61xEn/"]Mercedes[/a]' championship leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Kimi Antonelli[/a].[/p][p][b]"I'd rather ‌not fight with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If ‌he smells blood, he goes," Austrian Wolff told reporters when asked about ‌the great who won six of his titles with Mercedes.[/b][/p][p][b]"I've seen it many years where suddenly the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a] train started to go, and then it's very difficult to stop it."[/b][/p][embed guid="a018d859-007d-452c-8357-37a07ca4ae88" url="https://x.com/ScuderiaFerrari/status/2066173939605196903" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Building momentum[/h2][p]When Hamilton first arrived ⁠at Maranello, the Ferrari fans were abuzz ‌with the possibility of him taking his record eighth title in red overalls. Some of ​that excitement fizzled as the results disappointed, but it is building up steam again now.[/p][p]Hamilton has had three successive podiums - two seconds and ​now a first - and is clearly much happier in and out of the car.[/p][p]His first win in nearly two years has vindicated the Briton's move, with Hamilton ⁠now a race winner for ​three of the sport's greatest teams - McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari - since his debut campaign in 2007.[/p][p][b]The Briton struggled last season, openly describing himself as "useless" and even telling Ferrari to find someone else.[/b][/p][embed guid="46f30ada-0ce0-4fbe-b872-9f46869a66a3" url="https://x.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/2066180855907651596" social-type="twitter" /][p]He had wondered if he still had what it takes and ‌whether he would win again, but Sunday was all the proof he needed.[/p][p]This season has been very different, with Hamilton galvanised by new rules and a willingness at Ferrari to make changes he has requested. Wolff suggested a new relationship with celebrity Kim Kardashian, who accompanied him in Monaco this month, was also playing a part.[/p][p][b]"The dynamics in the team look to be good, between him and his race engineer (Carlo Santi). I saw him on the podium, on the telly. That face shows me that he's very happy," said the Austrian.[/b][/p][p][b]"Maybe the girlfriend helps...that ‌you have a stable family life, and they seem to be getting on ​really well. I think it's all of those factors that put together ‌the emotional, personal and professional perspective."[/b][/p][p]Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur brushed aside any championship talk, however.[/p][p][b]"I had probably the same comments two weeks ago that everything was a disaster," said the Frenchman. "And now we are speaking about the world championship. This is the worst approach that I could have.[/b][/p][p][b]"The approach ⁠is to go to Austria exactly ⁠with the same approach that I ‌had in Barcelona, and not to think about the championship."[/b][/p]