"What an incredible moment for Mercedes-Benz!" said Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, in the wake of the news that the German team has secured its second successive constructors' crown. "Congratulations to our team in Brackley and Brixworth who have worked so hard to make this achievement possible, winning a second world championship in a row.

"After winning in 2014, we raised the bar again to secure this year's title," he continued, "and we needed to because our rivals gave us plenty of headaches as they stepped up their performance. The work by our team is the perfect example of what drives Mercedes-Benz forward: the best technology. The most efficient hybrid petrol engine that our company has ever made, world-beating aerodynamics and intelligent design in every part of the W06 Hybrid racing car.

"Most importantly, though, we must not forget the human factor: we have two exceptional sportsmen at the wheel, Lewis and Nico, and a fantastic team behind the scenes, who have delivered 12 wins in 15 races so far this year. Their work has made every employee of Mercedes-Benz a world champion and we are very proud of them."

With Rosberg's retirement, and the Ferraris second and fifth, it appeared Mercedes would have to wait until Austin to officially wrap up a title that is, in reality, all over bar the shouting. However, a post-race penalty for Raikkonen following his clash with Valtteri Bottas, means that the German team cannot be beaten.