Hamilton wants to beat Ferrari, activating bonuses for the Mercedes-AMG staff

Lewis Hamilton is determined to haul Mercedes above Ferrari in the Formula 1 constructors' championship to help 1 200 team employees battle the UK's cost-of-living crisis.

Mercedes heads into this weekend's penultimate round of the season in Brazil 40 points adrift of second-placed Ferrari. Max Verstappen's all-conquering Red Bull team has already been crowned champions.

However, Mercedes staff at the team's headquarters in Brackley, Northamptonshire, will land a substantially bigger end-of-year bonus if Hamilton and teammate George Russell can take the runners-up slot.

Due to the nature of F1's rules, Hamilton's team would lose 5% of wind tunnel testing time - required to develop their car - if they usurp Ferrari.

Wanting the bonus

But speaking in Interlagos, the seven-time world champion said: "I know how important finishing second is for the team, and everyone back at the factory, in terms of bonuses, especially at a time when energy prices have gone through the roof and living costs in the UK have skyrocketed.

"I can see how impactful and important that is for them, but also how hard we have had to dig to catch up. I know it would be an amazing feeling.

"If I am being realistic, Ferrari have an amazing car - I don't know what happened last weekend in Mexico - but it is most likely they will be back at the front here.

"So, it will be no easy feat to beat them. But if we did, it would be an amazing comeback, and it also creates that narrative of sending them into the winter knowing that we mean business."

A unique record

Earlier this week, Hamilton became an honorary citizen of Brazil. The 37-year-old claimed his first world championship here in 2008, and drove the race of his life last season to fight back through the field and