Hamilton wins US Grand Prix to close in on Formula One title
By Christian Hollmann, dpa
Austin, Texas - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton moved close to a fourth Formula One world title by winning the US Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel on Sunday.
The result means the title battle now moves to Mexico next Sunday when Hamilton will need to finish fifth or higher to secure the 2017 title.
Hamilton took the chequered flag at the Circuit of the Americas more than 10 seconds ahead of Vettel for his fourth straight win at the Austin, Texas circuit, while Mercedes secured a fourth straight constructors' title.
"A big congratulations to the team. They work so hard back at the factory and here," Hamilton said in the podium interviews with Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt.
"I feel great. I am honoured you're here (he tells Bolt). "It has been a humbling experience. It is a dream job. Many people would love to drive an F1 car and I can tell you it is the best experience in the world."
Vettel told Bolt: "They were quicker than us and we have to admit that. It was not down to strategy. You (Bolt) should know, whoever is fastest normally has the best chance of winning."
Hamilton has now won five of the last six races in Austin and five of the last six races of the season. The 32-year-old Briton takes his wins this season to nine and his career win tally to 62.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen overtook Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen for third right at the end after starting 16th on the grid but was given a five-second penalty for cutting the track, a decision which moved him off the podium to fourth.
Vettel got past pole-sitter Hamilton with a brilliant start, but the Briton regained the lead on lap six and always had the pace to keep his rival at bay.
The closest Hamilton came to relinquishing the lead came when Vettel pitted on lap 17 of the 56 laps for soft tyres and almost undercut the Mercedes after Hamilton came in for fresh tyres three laps later.
"Why did you guys let him go so close," Hamilton queried over team radio.
The pit stops enabled Red Bull's Verstappen to take the lead briefly before Hamilton got past the Dutchman, who then made his first tyre change.
Verstappen pitted again, and Vettel reacted with his own pit stop to come out fourth ahead of the Red Bull with 16 laps remaining.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen managed to get past Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes to go second, while Vettel overtook Bottas with five laps left.
Raikkonen promptly allowed Vettel to swap places for second, and Verstappen also squeezed past Bottas before the Finn made a late tyre change.
Late drama came with Verstappen closing in on Raikkonen to get past the Finn right at the end, only to have the stewards slap him with the time penalty - to the anger of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
"They have been driving off track all weekend, Max made a fair move," Horner said.
"It is an appalling decision. They have robbed all of the fans here. It was a great grand prix and they have screwed it up."
Bottas was fifth ahead of Esteban Ocon in a Force India, Carlos Sainz in a Renault, Sergio Perez in a Force India, Felipe Massa in a Williams and Daniil Kvyat in a Toro Rosso.
Renault's Nico Huelkenberg and Sauber's Pascal Wehrlein retired early, while Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who had earlier been involved in a thrilling duel for third place with Bottas, went off in lap 16 with an engine failure.
McLaren's Fernando Alonso also retired just before the half-way mark while lying seventh.
Hamilton advances to 331 points in the standings, with Vettel on 265 and Bottas on 244, with the title now likely to be decided in Mexico in the third-last race of the season.
"A big congratulations to the team. They work so hard back at the factory and here," Hamilton said in the podium interviews with Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt.
"I feel great. I am honoured you're here (he tells Bolt). "It has been a humbling experience. It is a dream job. Many people would love to drive an F1 car and I can tell you it is the best experience in the world."
Vettel told Bolt: "They were quicker than us and we have to admit that. It was not down to strategy. You (Bolt) should know, whoever is fastest normally has the best chance of winning."
Hamilton has now won five of the last six races in Austin and five of the last six races of the season. The 32-year-old Briton takes his wins this season to nine and his career win tally to 62.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen overtook Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen for third right at the end after starting 16th on the grid but was given a five-second penalty for cutting the track, a decision which moved him off the podium to fourth.
Vettel got past pole-sitter Hamilton with a brilliant start, but the Briton regained the lead on lap six and always had the pace to keep his rival at bay.
The closest Hamilton came to relinquishing the lead came when Vettel pitted on lap 17 of the 56 laps for soft tyres and almost undercut the Mercedes after Hamilton came in for fresh tyres three laps later.
"Why did you guys let him go so close," Hamilton queried over team radio.
The pit stops enabled Red Bull's Verstappen to take the lead briefly before Hamilton got past the Dutchman, who then made his first tyre change.
Verstappen pitted again, and Vettel reacted with his own pit stop to come out fourth ahead of the Red Bull with 16 laps remaining.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen managed to get past Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes to go second, while Vettel overtook Bottas with five laps left.
Raikkonen promptly allowed Vettel to swap places for second, and Verstappen also squeezed past Bottas before the Finn made a late tyre change.
Late drama came with Verstappen closing in on Raikkonen to get past the Finn right at the end, only to have the stewards slap him with the time penalty - to the anger of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
"They have been driving off track all weekend, Max made a fair move," Horner said.
"It is an appalling decision. They have robbed all of the fans here. It was a great grand prix and they have screwed it up."
Bottas was fifth ahead of Esteban Ocon in a Force India, Carlos Sainz in a Renault, Sergio Perez in a Force India, Felipe Massa in a Williams and Daniil Kvyat in a Toro Rosso.
Renault's Nico Huelkenberg and Sauber's Pascal Wehrlein retired early, while Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who had earlier been involved in a thrilling duel for third place with Bottas, went off in lap 16 with an engine failure.
McLaren's Fernando Alonso also retired just before the half-way mark while lying seventh.
Hamilton advances to 331 points in the standings, with Vettel on 265 and Bottas on 244, with the title now likely to be decided in Mexico in the third-last race of the season.
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