The Mercedes Formula 1 team has dedicated winning its sixth con🍬secutive constructors’ world championship at the Japanese Grand Prix to the late Niki L𝓀auda.

Three-time world champion Lauda played an instrumental role at Mercedes as the German manufacturer’s non-executive chairman between 20ꦓ12 and until his death earlier this year, having overseen all of the team’s previous title triumphs throughout the V6 hybrid era.

Victory for Valtteri Bottas and a third-place finish for Lewis Hamilton was enough for Mercedes to seal the 2019 constructors’ time at Suzuka, as the team equalled Ferrari’s rec🗹ord of six straight tiꦯtles from 1999-2004.

“I think we want to dedi💦cate this to N🎃iki because he’s just been such an important part from the beginning of the journey,” Wolff told Sky Sports.

“His sheer pre⭕sence was always so impor𓂃tant and the mixture between support and pressure, he was just a very special person.

“Niki would’ve said ‘congratulations for the sixth one so you have a proble🌱m for next year!’ and then we would’ve flown back together and we would stumble something around ‘h💎e hasn’t got any friends but I am a half friend’.”

Mercedes is now guaranteed to become the fir꧑st team in F1 history to clinch six successive world championship doubles, with the drivers’ t༒itle race now an exclusive battle between Hamilton and Bottas.

Asked where this title ranks in comparison to Mercedes’ previous achievements in a separate media call, Wolff replied: “Each of th🍃e championships felt very special for different reasons.

“This one again, is so special ไbecause it’s not always easy to reinvent yourself at the beginning oꦆf the year and set objectives that motivate everybody – and then embark on the long season.

“Niki is being missed, and therefore the sixth one, 🍒beღating the record that was set by Ferrari 15 years ago, is extremely special.

“I’m not able to get it yet, we had a difficult qualifying this morning, and we are eager to do well that this non-performance sits in ou🔯r bones. Probably it’s goiꦜng to sink in overnight flying back to Europe.

“It would nಞot do it justice to come up with a 30-second answer, but if I were to sum it up, it’s the people, the group of people that are working onඣ the project each giving it all,” he added.

“They are playing the best ꧃game in their respective position and the strength of the pack has ꦗmade us win these championships.”

Race-winner Bottas said: “I’m real൩ly proud to be part of the team.

“A sixth title in a row is so impre🌠ssive, so I’m very proud of the race teamꦗ and also those in the factory, so well done guys and girls.

While Hamilton, who remains in pole position to land his sixth drivers’ crown with a 66-point a♔dvantage over Bottas, added: “Congratulations to the team.

“It𒊎’s so well deserved to win six years in a row. I just wanted to get the best points for the team today.”