Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is refusing to take anything for granted as his team and Lewis Hamilton have an opportunity to clinch both drivers’ and constructors’ championships for the first time in 2017 at the US Grand Prix.
Should both Silver Arrows finish inside the top four, they will win their fourth constructors’ title on the bounce, for Lewis Hamilton to clinch his fourth drivers’ title in Austin he must win and Vettel to finish outside the top five.
“Since we began the final flyaway leg of the season, we have seen a strong points swing in our favour in both championships,” said Wolff.
“Good fortune has played its part, of course – and we have put ourselves in the right position to make the most of the opportunities that have come our way. But nobody within the team is allowing those good results to disguise the challenges we have faced.
“Still four races to go and 100 points to score: we can take nothing for granted as we fly to Austin this week. We approach every race with a healthy dose of scepticism rather than wishful thinking, and our focus must be on making sure we score every point within our reach this weekend in Austin.”
Learning from defeat
The W08 has caused the Brackley-based team numerous headaches across the 2017 campaign and frustrated the team including both drivers Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Wolff believes the bitter frustrations of previous races has helped in identifying those issues and putting those learnt lessons into next season’s car.
“We returned from those races with a lot more understanding of our car and of the reasons for the performance swings we have experienced this season,” added the Austrian.
“Some of that understanding is already being applied to the final races, some of it will flow into next year’s project. But the bitter taste of our defeat in Malaysia once again confirmed that the tough days are the ones when you learn most – and when you lay the foundations for future success.”
