FIVE STARS FOR JUAN TOP BRIT
Lew matches Fangio title haul
LEWIS HAMILTON last night admitted he was in the land of the surreal after joining Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio on five world titles.
As Mexicans celebrated the Dia de Muertos – or Day of the Dead – the Brit finally sounded the death knell for Sebastian Vettel’s championship challenge.
Hamilton finished off the podium in fourth but that was enough to move two off Michael Schumacher’s record seven titles.
The Mercedes driver said: “It is a very strange feeling right now.
“To complete this with Fangio having done it with Mercedes is a surreal feeling. I don’t try to let myself be emotional in public but I feel humble.
“This is something I dreamed of but never in a million years did I believe I would be standing here with it having happened.
“Thanks to my dad who truly believed we had it above all the other drivers when we were younger. I feel like I have
performed my best this year so I am very happy how it’s gone.
“Let me realise I have won this one before I think of going for seven.”
Hamilton admitted it was a “horrible race” having struggled with tyres but only needed a seventh place to perform his doughnut celebratory spins.
Vettel took second in his Ferrari when Daniel Ricciardo’s engine started blowing out smoke, forcing him out with 10 laps left.
But he had little chance of catching Max Verstappen who could turn down his engine revs as a precaution against a double Red Bull failure en route to a fifth career win.
Hamilton hugged Vettel after the race and the German said: “It was not an easy day but well deserved and congrats to him and his team.
“They did a superb job all year. I would have loved to hang in there but it wasn’t the case.”