Wolff denies Mercedes struggling amid wheel controversy

Toto Wolff has denied that Mercedes is struggling amid the controversy about its wheel rim design.

The F1 world was preoccupied late on Sunday with the Max Verstappen vs Esteban Ocon altercation, and Mercedes’ constructors’ championship win.

But also true is that, for the third race in a row, Mercedes was struggling with its tyres in Brazil.

Team boss Wolff, however, denied that it is because Ferrari is constantly threatening to protest the legality of its wheel rims.

"This was a third scenario," Wolff said in Brazil, referring also to Austin and Mexico.

"I can assure you that the rims played no role. The reasons (for the tyre issues) were too different for that.

"We just wanted to avoid a week-long legal battle in the event that someone protests," he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

Wolff was visibly happy on Sunday at Interlagos, as he raced into the record books alongside the ultra-successful Ferrari of the Michael Schumacher era.

"I would not have imagined this in my wildest dreams," he is quoted by Kronen Zeitung.

"If I had said something like we are going to win ten world championship titles, I would certainly have been diagnosed with some sort of mental illness," Wolff laughed.