Hamilton keeps Formula One hopes alive

AUSTIN, Texas — Lewis Hamilton got the victory he needed to keep his Formula One championship hopes alive. Now he needs more, and he needs Mercedes teammate and rival Nico Rosberg to make a mistake or have a bad race.

Hamilton won his fourth U.S. Grand Prix in five years on Sunday, bolting from pole position and cruising to an easy victory that cut Rosberg’s lead to 26 points with three races left.

“Yeehaw!” Hamilton roared over his car radio as he rounded the final turn for the checkered flag on his 50th career victory. “The battle will continue. I’ll be going for it.”

Victories won’t be enough for the two-time defending champion to keep his title. Rosberg still holds a relatively comfortable lead heading to next week’s race in Mexico City, where he won last year. Two seconds and a third in the final three races will be enough for Rosberg to earn his first season title and match his father Keke Rosberg’s 1982 championship.

Rosberg is keenly aware that he controls his destiny. Unlike last season, when tensions boiled over in the post-race cool down room and Rosberg tossed a podium cap at Hamilton’s face, the German was all smiles Sunday as Hamilton celebrated his win.

Rosberg shrugged off any suggestion he has lost any momentum. The Mercedes duel now heads into a stretch of races Rosberg dominated last season when he reeled of victories in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. He’s failed to finish only one race this season and has only four others that didn’t end on the podium.

“It’s a pity it didn’t work out for a win,” in the U.S., Rosberg said.