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Mercedes Formula One team members are waiting with bated breath as they look forward to this coming weekend’s United States Grand Prix, where they could tie up the Driver’s Championship and take a giant stride towards their fifth consecutive Constructor’s Championship, writes Kristian Harrison.
The champions-elect come into the race in fine form, with driver standings leader Lewis Hamilton having won six out of the past seven races.
Team Principal Toto Wolff believes that the team is riding on the crest of a wave and is keen to continue its success and praise both Brit Hamilton and his Finnish teammate, Valtteri Bottas.
He said: “We could not have asked for a better result from the back-to-back races in Russia and Japan. We were able to extend our lead in both championships and the entire team delivered to a very high level.
“While we didn’t have the fastest car in the summer, we’ve seen the performance swing in our favour recently; however, it is closer than it looked in recent races.
“Ferrari have a strong car and they will keep on pushing until the very last corner in Abu Dhabi. They have been worthy opponents in the past 17 races and we have no reason to believe that this will change in the next four; just like us, they will fight fiercely for every point and position.
“Two 1-2s in a row also shows how well both drivers are performing. We’re lucky to have this driver line-up and we know we can count on them as the season comes to its close.
“The battle is far from over, so we approach Austin the same way as every other race: take it one step at a time, focus on our job and make sure we bring performance and reliability to the track.
“The Circuit of the Americas has been a good track for us ever since it was introduced in the F1 calendar, but past results have no impact on the current championship.
“Everyone in the team knows that we cannot take anything for granted, so we will be as diligent as ever, keep our heads down and work hard to get a good result in Texas. This championship fight has been exhilarating and we can’t wait for the next chapter in the epic battle of silver and red.”
The intense title battle comes amid a rapidly-changing technological landscape, where motor sport innovations are trickling down to the road car world.
Since the introduction of full hybrid powertrains, F1 technology has become more relevant for road cars than it has ever been before. Mercedes are at the forefront of this movement, with tremendous strides forward in hybrid engines, connectivity, digital engineering and testing.
