Mercedes saw a 'new Lewis' in final F1 2018 races

Mercedes Formula 1 chief Toto Wolff felt Lewis Hamilton's on-track performances reached another level following his championship victory in Mexico, allowing the team to see a "new Lewis."

Hamilton clinched his fifth F1 world title with two races to spare in the 2018 season, moving into an unassailable lead following the Mexican Grand Prix.

Hamilton had previously won the F1 title early in 2015 and 2017, but saw his post-coronation form dip in both years, failing to win any of the remaining races both times around.

However, the Briton was able to scratch that statistic in 2018, winning both of the final two races from pole position as he finished the year strongly en route to a record F1 points total.

For Wolff, the desire to help Mercedes secure its fifth straight constructors' title - clinched one race after Hamilton's championship victory in Mexico - was the biggest factor fuelling Hamilton's late-season form.

"He’s actually driven stronger after winning the drivers’ title. I feel he’s just so embedded in the team and integrated that the drivers’ title felt incomplete, which for a driver is really strange because they are calibrated on the drivers’ title," Wolff said.

"But he said it felt incomplete and that we needed to seal the teams’ title. When you look at his face, that was almost more relief and happiness about sealing the constructors’ title than the first one.

"That's why he just didn’t take his foot off the throttle until the very end, and that is somehow a new Lewis also."