Hamilton on brink of fifth title
Lewis Hamilton won the Japanese Grand Prix to stand on the brink of a fifth Formula One title on Sunday while Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel finished sixth after colliding with Dutchman Max Verstappen.
Hamilton led from pole to flag, crossing the line 12.9sec ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas in a second successive Mercedes one-two. Verstappen finished third.
The Briton now has a 67point lead over Vettel with four races remaining and can sew up the championship next week with victory in Austin should the German finish lower than second. Hamilton will fancy his chances given his record at the US Grand Prix, where he has won all but one race since 2012.
“We’ve gone from strength to strength as a team this year. Austin is generally a good track for us and I can’t wait to unleash this beast there,” said Hamilton after leading every lap at Suzuka for his 71st career win.
He is now only 20 victories off Michael Schumacher’s record. “I hope you guys are not getting bored of this, because I’m definitely not,” said Hamilton, who has won six of the last seven races and four in a row. “I loved it.”
Vettel, who had started eighth after a failed tyre gamble in qualifying, made contact with Verstappen’s Red Bull and spun while trying to pass the Dutch driver for third on the eighth lap.
The German resumed in 19th and scythed his way back through the field, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. Stewards reviewed the Verstappen contact and took no action. “If I don’t go for that gap and that gap was there I might as well go home. Sorry for the result,” said Vettel.
Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene said the podium had been within the team’s grasp. “I know the situation looks impossible, but our job is to challenge the impossible. This is what we are going to do in the next four races,” the Italian said.
Hamilton now has 331 points to Vettel’s 264. Verstappen pushed the other Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen off the track in an eventful race. He was penalised five seconds and could well have finished second without it, having crossed the line 1.3secs behind Bottas. “The touch with Sebastian … in that corner you can’t overtake. I even gave him space, but he understeered into my car,” he said.