Wolff hopes Mercedes upgrades will allow it to end Hamilton partnership on a high

Toto Wolff says Mercedes is hoping its upgrade for the United States Grand Prix will allow it to end the season in strong fashion and sign off its partnership with Lewis Hamilton on a high. Hamilton is moving to Ferrari in 2025 having been part of the Mercedes team since 2013, winning six of his seven drivers’ championships with the team. Mercedes will be bringing its final development package of the year to Circuit of the Americas this weekend, and Wolff says the aim is for it to make the team more competitive in both the short and long-term, but also give Hamilton a chance of adding to this season’s two victories. “This weekend marks the start of an intense run to the end of the year,” Wolff said. “We have six races over the next eight weeks, ending with the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Although we are not in contention for the championships, there is still plenty to fight for and the opportunity to create a few highlights along the way. We want to end this year as strongly as possible, build momentum for 2025, and bid farewell to Lewis in the best way possible. “We have therefore been hard at work since Singapore analyzing our performance and how we can improve. We bring our final update package of the season to Texas and our aim is to close the gap to the front. It will also provide useful information that will help guide our development direction for 2025.” Last year’s race in Austin saw Hamilton in the mix for victory only to be disqualified post-race for having excessive wear on his plank, and Wolff says Mercedes needs to be wary of its set-up due to the fact it will only have one practice session to dial in its upgrade. “The Sprint format returns this weekend, and we will have to be at our best to introduce the update package effectively. The Circuit of the Americas is a fantastic track but one that caught us out last year. Its high-speed layout, combined with its bumpy surface, make it a challenge for both the car and driver. It is one we are looking forward to.”