Wolff insists 2018 F1 title fight is 'far from over'

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff reckons Ferrari’s victory at the United States Grand Prix shows the 2018 championship fight is “far from over”.

Kimi Raikkonen fended off late charges from Max Verstappen and polesitter Lewis Hamilton to record his first win since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix and help delay the Briton’s title celebrations.

Hamilton was forced into a two-stop strategy due to excessive tyre wear but was able to finish ahead of his recovering title rival Sebastian Vettel, meaning he can clinch a fifth world title with a top-seven finish at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix regardless of where Vettel finishes.

Ferrari clawed some much-needed points back on Mercedes in Austin, though the reigning world champions still hold a 66-point advantage in the constructors’ standings with three rounds to go. Despite Mercedes’ strong position, Wolff insists nothing is settled.

“The United States Grand Prix confirmed what we said before the race: This year's championship fight is far from over,” Wolff said.

“While Lewis was able to extend his lead over Sebastian Vettel in Austin, we lost points to Ferrari in the constructors' championship. We have a battle on our hands and we will have to keep pushing to win both titles.

“We cannot be happy with the result in Texas, but it provides us with an opportunity to learn and come back stronger.”

Wolff said Mercedes is bracing itself for a “hard fight” with rivals Ferrari and Red Bull in Mexico, a circuit the German manufacturer struggled for performance at in 2017.

“Our next stop brings us to Mexico City where we will face a very different challenge,” he explained. “The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is an outlier given its high altitude and the demands this puts on the cars and power units.

“It has been one of the weaker tracks for us in previous years and we expect a hard fight with Ferrari and Red Bull.

“We know that it is not going to be an easy race, but everyone in the team is focused, motivated and determined to keep the pressure on until the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.”