There was a driver, Max Verstappen, whose combativeness had marked him out as the pretender to Hamilton’s throne. But Red Bull couldn’t provide him with a title-challenging car. He’d been there five seasons and had only a handful of victories to show for it. But no one – not even Hamilton – was in any doubt that this was the heir apparent.

A final Lewis Hamilton Mercedes release has been announced ahead of his move to Ferrari next season. Following a difficult triple-header in Austin, Mexico and Brazil, Mercedes emerged fighting at the Las Vegas Grand Prix,

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has weighed in on Lewis Hamilton's winless seasons, asserting that they do not signify failure for either the driver or the t