30/10/2018
NEWS STORY
With two races remaining, the 2018 Constructor's Championship is still up for grabs, though with a 55-point lead it is all over bar the shouting.
Despite four wins since the summer break, it is the recent events in Austin and Mexico that concern Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
"The job is not done yet," insists the Austrian. "Obviously we are very happy about this fifth Drivers' Championship because that is the most visible and most important Championship.
"But there is a Constructors' Championship still out there that we want to secure and win, and it is not easy," he adds, leaving out the minor detail that it is this championship that decides prize money.
"We have enjoyed the competition, and I also enjoy not being sure whether it is good enough what we are doing. The setbacks make the good days even sweeter.
"We won 19 out of the 21 races in 2016. That was nice and enjoyable, less stressful," he admits. "But there is also the risk of complacency setting in.
"Then the regulations changed, and that really motivated us to be the first team to win a championship after a rule change, and we did it. And this year was a gloves-off fight all year."
Over the course of the season, Mercedes has averaged 30.7 points per race compared to Ferrari's 27.8. The German team has 9 wins to its rival's 6, while in terms of reliability the Silver Arrows have completed 96.9% of the racing laps, compared to Ferrari's 94.9%.