TOKYO, Japan - With five races to spare, Mercedes has its first opportunity to wrap up the 2014 Constructors' championship at the 2014 Japanese GP on October 21.
Utterly dominant in 2014, the team is 174 points clear heading into Suzuka, meaning a 1-2 on Sunday (October 21) with Red Bull scoring fewer than three points would wrap it up with Sochi, Austin, Brazil and Abu Dhabi still to race.
Team boss Toto Wolff said:"Every single one of us wants to finish 2014 in style."
MERC'S WARRING DRIVERS
Mercedes is also the overwhelming favourite for the 2014 Drivers' title but the close battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and a marked record in the reliability stakes means that Daniel Ricciardo remains remotely in the running for now.
Red Bull's Helmut Marko is keeping the pressure high, insisting that the tension between Hamilton and Rosberg still threatens to derail the silver team.
Marko told Germany's Daily Bild ahead of the 2014 Japanese GP: "This peace (between the drivers) is not real."
'WE WILL BE THERE TO BEAT THEM'
"Eventually, Hamilton and Rosberg will be side by side again, and when they see it is the title in front of them, there are no more rules. When the silver arrows explode again, we will be there to beat them."
Marko also hopes Mercedes' poor reliability record of late, including former championship leader Nico Rosberg's steering wheel failure in Singapore, continues to worsen.
Marko said: "Further losses for them plays in our favour in the championship fight. Mercedes can still throw the championship away."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Japanese GP weekend.