Mercedes wins ninth constructors title after four-year drought

Mercedes secured its ninth constructors’ championship at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, ending a four-year drought that began after its eight-consecutive-title run concluded in 2021. The Brackley-based team struggled significantly from 2022 to 2025, facing severe performance deficits with ground effect cars. George Russell, who joined the squad in 2022 and witnessed the entire downturn, attributes this resurgence primarily to Toto Wolff’s refusal to overhaul the staff during those difficult seasons. The Austrian chief maintained that stability was "certainly a factor" in their return to the top of Formula 1.

Consistency over turnover

Russell emphasized that the current personnel matches the roster from the glory years and the subsequent struggles. He stated, "Nobody was hired or fired," adding that he admires Wolff’s leadership for maintaining belief in the team even when results were poor. This approach contrasts sharply with typical industry reactions to underperformance, where significant staff changes often follow bad seasons. Wolff acknowledged that while many new people have joined recently, the core culture remains defined by safety rather than constant churn. He described the environment as one where individuals are allowed to make mistakes and speak up freely.

Resilience beyond the numbers

Wolff admitted that the intermediate years felt worse than the statistics suggest, noting that finishing second in two of those seasons still left the squad feeling challenged. He remarked, "It wasn’t that bad at all when you look at the sheer numbers, but it felt not good." The resilience of the group holding together through those tough times is a critical component of their current success. Russell, currently third in the drivers’ championship, sits 17 points behind Max Verstappen with three races remaining. His 2026 campaign has been difficult as he watched teammate Kimi Antonelli win the individual title. Despite this personal setback, Wolff declared on Sunday that the constructors’ title belongs to Russell as much as anyone, stating the team owes it to him.