The Mercedes boys celebrate at home

©Mercedes

A day after motorsport's international prize-winners were celebrated by the FIA in Paris, the Mercedes team and its most distinguished members were honored at home in Brackley and it Brixworth.

Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton were conspicuously absent from the FIA's traditional gala as their anger over the events of last weekend in Abu Dhabi lingered.

But the pair, flanked by the always loyal Valtteri Bottas, were all smiles as they arrived at Mercedes' headquarters to pay tribute to the many hard-working members of the Brackley squad that had a hand in the constructor's 2021 championship winning campaign.

The home event was also Bottas' very last appearance in Mercedes team kit.

The Finn, who played a crucial support role for Hamilton over the years and whose loyalty was a major component of the team's harmony and stability, was deservedly applauded long and loud.

Time to move on...

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.