Toto Wolff admits he never thought Mercedes' historic F1 achievement was possible

Toto Wolff admits he never thought Mercedes’ historic F1 achievement was possible

The Silver Arrows clinched their ninth constructors’ championship at Interlagos on Sunday, drawing level with Williams on the all-time F1 list and completing a double after Kimi Antonelli’s drivers’ title…

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Mercedes have won their ninth Formula 1 constructors’ championship, drawing level with Williams at the top of the all-time list behind only Ferrari and McLaren.

Ferrari lead the standings with 16 titles, McLaren have 10, and Williams and Mercedes now share third place. Williams collected their nine between 1980 and 1997; Mercedes have now matched them.

The title was sealed at a wet Sao Paulo Grand Prix the team came close to throwing away. Kimi Antonelli had been leading the race when he spun at Turn 1 on lap 20, handing the lead to Lando Norris, who controlled the race to the flag. George Russell spun at the pit exit during his first stop. The two Mercedes drivers still crossed the line fourth and fifth, enough to put the team out of Ferrari’s mathematical reach.

Wolff did not see this coming

“It was a very strong beginning of the season that got us over the line,” team principal Toto Wolff told the Associated Press. “I never thought this was ever possible.”

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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished seventh and ninth, confirming the mathematics as Russell crossed the line.

Four years after the dynasty ended

The title ends a long wait at the Brackley base. Mercedes won eight constructors’ championships in a row from 2014 to 2021, one of the most dominant runs in the sport’s history, before the 2022 regulation reset dropped them behind Red Bull. McLaren took the last two constructors’ crowns, in 2024 and 2025, before being overhauled this year.

Antonelli’s double

Antonelli had already sealed the drivers’ title a week earlier at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at 20 years and 68 days. The constructors’ trophy makes 2026 a clean sweep for Mercedes, their first double since 2021.

The season has three races left: Las Vegas on 21 November, Qatar on 29 November, and the Abu Dhabi finale on 6 December.

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