Lewis Hamilton has hailed the past two years as the best of his life after concluding two days of celebrations with everyone at Mercedes following their success in winning the Formula One constructors’ title.

The team, primarily based in Brackley in the UK, with the power-unit department 28 miles away in Brixworth, has been savouring the fruits of five years of hard work since Mercedes bought out Brawn GP at the end of 2009.

The team’s ninth one-two of the season in Russia on Sunday, one shy of McLaren’s 1988 record, and spearheaded by Hamilton’s ninth win this campaign, ensured Mercedes became champions in style for the first time in F1 history.

Hamilton, who opted to end his long association with McLaren and join Mercedes at the start of 2013, was initially left speechless as he addressed the workforce.

The 29-year-old then said: “What an incredible feeling it is to be stood in front of all these incredible people. You almost have to take a step back and just think about what we’ve achieved together.

“I know it’s been a long road and many of the team have had to work through tough times to lay the foundations for what we’re seeing today, and I’m incredibly grateful for all of their hard work.

“These past two years have been the best of my life – and that’s all down to everybody standing here.”