Major test for Mercedes as storm brews over F1
Team boss Toto Wolff tries to keep drivers calm ahead of final race while Sauber chief says big manufacturers want to get rid of smaller outfits
The next two weeks could be the biggest challenge yet for Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg take their Formula One title battle down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
The Austrian is prepared for a bumpy ride all the way to the chequered flag at Yas Marina, in a race with double points on offer for the first time.
The end of the season is not the end of the world. We will aim to provide the two of them with a car which is capable of winning more championships
However, the message he will be telling both drivers is that, whatever happens on November 23, it is only a beginning and not an end.
"The end of the season is not the end of the world. We will aim to provide the two of them with a car which is capable of winning more championships," he said. "They still have many more years in their careers."
Hamilton left Interlagos with a lead of 17 points, meaning he need only finish second to take his second title even if Rosberg wins the race.
Double points is an unprecedented novelty that may well be a one-off.
Wolff dislikes the concept, believes commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone does too now despite coming up with the original idea, and said it was "probably something we should be getting rid of for next season".
