Hamilton takes big step to title
AUSTIN, Texas — The fastest man on four wheels stood on the U.S. Grand Prix podium with the fastest man on two feet.
Together, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and retired sprinter Usain Bolt struck Bolt’s familiar “To the World” pose, their fingers pointing to the sky and perhaps the way toward another Hamilton Formula One championship.
Hamilton tightened his control on the F1 season title by winning the U.S. Grand Prix Sunday ahead of title rival Sebastian Vettel, who finished second in a race he said he had to win.
It was Hamilton’s fourth consecutive win at Circuit of the Americas and fifth since 2012. His ninth win of the season also opened a 66point lead on Vettel with three races left. While mathematically still possible, Vettel’s title hopes are nearly wiped out as the series heads next week to Mexico City, where Hamilton won a year ago.
“I think this is my favorite track now,” Hamilton said after another dominant performance in Texas.
Hamilton is on a late-season charge toward a championship that would further define his legacy in the sport. Formula One’s first and only black driver could join Vettel as a four-time season champion. Only Germany’s Michael Schumacher (7) and Argentina’s Juan Manuel Fangio (5) have won more.
“I don’t let my mind go there,” Hamilton said. “Three races to go, three races to win.
Vettel seemed resigned to the reality that his title hopes collapsed with his second-place finish.
“It wasn’t our race to win,” Vettel said. “We tried to fight. We got beaten fair and square.”
Vettel had pushed hard for the win and surprised Hamilton when he grabbed the lead out of a fast start, but the Mercedes reeled in the Ferrari just a few laps later.
Vettel bolted off the line and Hamilton moved left to try to squeeze Vettel into the inside of the first turn. The German held his ground, cut through the corner and tucked the nose of his Ferrari in front as the cars did the slingshot left turn back down the 130-foot elevation.
Vettel’s advantage was quickly swallowed up by the power that Hamilton’s Mercedes had shown all week. Hamilton caught Vettel on lap six and passed him heading into the turn at the end of the circuit’s long straight. It was the same move on the same turn Hamilton used to pass Vettel to win the race in 2012.