Toto Wolff "never thought" six consecutive world championships would be possible

After Valtteri Bottas won the Japanese Grand Prix and Lewis Hamilton secured a place on the podium in third, Mercedes secured their sixth consecutive world championship title. Following Japan, Bottas and Hamilton are now the only two drivers who can win the world title, with four races remaining.

The Finish driver won his third race of the season in Japan, the sixth of his career as he saw off the challenge of Sebastian Vettel who came through in second.

"When we embarked on the journey six or seven years ago we wanted to win races more regularly and then fight for a Championship – and now, six years later, we win our sixth Championship in a row, " Wolff said in his reaction to Mercedes after the race.

"We never thought this would be possible and I’m incredibly happy for everybody who has been a part of this journey.

"It’s not always been easy, the entire team put in a lot of hard work and we had our fair share of painful moments, but we were always able to pick ourselves up."