Toto Wolff has led Mercedes to their sixth consecutive driver’s and constructor’s titles and is now the most successful Formula 1 team principal in history in terms of winning consecutive championships, but he has stated that he will not be present in Brazil as the Formula 1 season draws to a close.

“With both championships secured, it gives me more time in Europe to focus on other open topics,” said Wolff. “It’s great to be able to do this and know that the team will represent the three-pointed star in the best way possible on and off the track.”

Despite his absence he has stated the Mercedes team and himself still possess “hunger and desire for more achievements” and that “everybody is still determined to keep on improving”, as attention behind the scenes surely turns towards the 2020 season.

Though, Wolff as the head of Mercedes Motorsport will also have alternate focuses besides Formula 1 as Mercedes are primed for their debut in the Formula E series which gets back underway in Saudi Arabia one week after the Brazilian Grand Prix.

In the absence of Wolf, Mercedes’ most senior figure at the Brazilian GP will be technical director James Allison, who will likely fill the German’s shoes for the upcoming race weekend.

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Mercedes and Hamilton still determined to continue form

Having clinched a sixth World Championship and cementing his legacy even further in the history books, Lewis Hamilton has already got his eye on ending the current season on a high.

After winning his sixth drivers’ title in the United States last time out, he said, “In my mind, I’m just too competitive. So I’m thinking ‘OK, we’ve got two more races to go, how am I going to do a better job and how am I going to improve in qualifying. There’s two more qualifyings to try and get pole. How am I going to see if I can potentially pull out a lap?’”

The Brit has fared well in the races this season, but in terms of pole positions in qualifying he has just four, compared to his teammate Valtteri Bottas who has five this season.

With two races remining the 2019 World Champion will hope to rectify that, though Charles Leclerc’s record of seven pole positions this season will not be beaten in an impressive first term for the Monegasque.

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