The M✤ercedes Formula 1 team was “not convinced” Lewis Hamilton’s tyres would make it to the end of t🏅he Mexican Grand Prix after taking a bold strategy gamble.

Hamilton expertly managed ageing tyres on a one-stop strategy to hold off Sebastian V𓃲ettel’s charging Ferrari and claim an unexpected victor𒁏y for Mercedes in Mexico City, having started third on the grid.

The Briton’s Hard tyres were 13 laps older than V💞ettel’s after Hamilton pitted much earlier in the race. Despite Hamilton’s concerns over team radio that his tyres would hit the cliff and not make the distance, he held on to record a brilliant win.

“We were not convinced [the tyres would last],” Mercedes bꦦoss To♚to Wolff said.

“So there were two main factors. One is that we knew that ♉we had to take a risk, when you’re starting third and sixth.

“It’s easier to come up with some bold strౠategies, provided🌼 you have a good car, which we had, and fantastic drivers.

"We knew we need to do som𒁃ething different. And then we saw Ricciardo going long on the hard tyre. I think he had done 30-odd laps, and was posting g🌸reen lap times.

“And then we had quite some discussion, and at the end, what [Mercedes chief stౠrategist] James [Vowles] and his strategy partn🅺er opted for, to go long for 47 laps, worked out.”

Asked if he had faith in Hamilton ꧙to be able to pull off the strategy, Wolff replied: “I have complete faith in him.

🉐“But ♌we knew it was going to be stretched, and even the best driver needs to rely on the material.

“47 laps sounded like almost impossible, but then when you look at the data of the first stint, and [Daniel] Ricciardo and Max going strong, it kind of made sense. Still, visual💛ising 47 laps sounded like an awful lot of laps.

“We thought that a two-stop could have been the main gaღmeplꦿan at the beginning,” he added. "But in the first stint, the tyres behaved so well and held on so much better than expected, so pretty early on in the race, we switched to a one-stop.

“We were quite surprised to♚ see [Charles] Leclerc committing so early to a two-stop, so Vettel was more of a worry for us.”

Hamilton’s 10th victory of the season has moved him to the brink of sealing a sixth drivers’ world title. He now leads Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 74 points and will wrap up the world championship if he scores four points at next weekend’s U🐭nited States G🌊rand Prix.