Wolff calls for Mercedes to ‘push and push’ in title battle

MERCEDES team boss Toto Wolff has challenged his team to work around the clock to provide Lewis Hamilton with a car capable of taking Max Verstappen to a title decider, writes Philip Duncan.

The championship ball is firmly in Verstappen’s court after the Red Bull driver delivered a supreme display to win the United States Grand Prix and extend his lead over Hamilton from six to 12 points.

There are just five rounds left and 130 points to play for, with the next two circuits in Mexico and Brazil expected to favour Verstappen’s Red Bull machinery. And speaking after

Sunday’s race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, Hamilton, looking to win a record-breaking eighth crown, conceded he faces a tall order to stop his Dutch rival from extending his championship margin.

But team principal Wolff, pictured, said: “I don’t believe that there is a particular pattern going forward and who suits each track.

“We just need to push and push and hopefully be in a situation where we can fight for the championship at the very last race.

“Mexico is different because of the high altitude and the engines are under pressure in a totally different way. We need to start properly on Friday, understand the car, develop it from there, and then we will be in a position to battle for the win.”

On Sunday’s race in Austin, Wolff added: “I think we could have won the race because Lewis was in the lead, and he had very strong pace on the hard tyres at the end.

“We need to retrace from Friday to Sunday. Where did we misjudge it? Where did we get it wrong? What did we do well? And there will be plenty of positive discussions in the coming days about what we can learn.”