Lewis Hamilton joined Toto Wolff and George Russell on the journey home from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after accepting an offer from his former team principal. Mercedes secured the constructors' championship in Brazil, needing to outscore Ferrari by three points to seal the title on Sunday.
Mercedes clinch constructors' title
Russell and Kimi Antonelli both spun on the slippery Interlagos track and neither reached the podium. Ferrari struggled for pace throughout Sunday, helping Mercedes get the job done despite a messy race.
Hamilton started from the back of the grid with engine penalties, while Charles Leclerc took a new internal combustion engine beyond his allowance, forcing him to start from 14th. Both drivers struggled to get their tyres working in wet and dry conditions, finishing eighth and ninth respectively.
Ferrari tensions continue
Leclerc finished seventh on the road but dropped one place due to a penalty for colliding with Liam Lawson. Hamilton lost points because of a miscommunication late in the race, failing to pit when Ferrari asked him to.
The race came after a week overshadowed by tensions between the two Ferrari drivers following their duel for the win in Mexico City, which resulted in neither taking victory, much to the annoyance of team principal Frederic Vasseur.
Hamilton joins celebrations
Wolff revealed he would be travelling back from Brazil to Britain with Russell and Hamilton on the same private plane. He said: "In terms of the party, I don't know yet. Now it's another flight, another overnight flight."
"George is going to be on that overnight flight, so maybe we'll have a drink, a constructors' drink. We're going to take Lewis also, so we'll see, maybe he needs one for the bed! And then we figure out what we do in party terms in coming back to the UK."
Russell's role recognised
Russell has had a difficult year, playing second fiddle to Antonelli, who has already secured the drivers' championship. Wolff acknowledged his key role in Mercedes' return, saying: "It's George's championship today, it's the constructors' championship and he's part of the team and I'm really happy that he can cherish this moment, because we owe it to him."
"He had it so tough at times and yesterday was a good example. He was absolutely dominating. Now we have three races to go, we're going to go full blast, and he will recover, I have no doubt about that. For next year, all the very best sports, people have gone through difficult periods and that's going to be part of his continued development."
