Hamilton wins as Mercedes clinch fifth constructors’ title
FORMULA ONE Briton wins Brazil GP second time after crash puts Verstappen out SAOPAULO:
Ten years after securing his first Formula One title at Interlagos, five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday and helped his Mercedes team take the Formula One constructors’ title for the fifth straight year.
It was Hamilton’s 10th victory of the season, finishing 1.4 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
But it could have been a very different outcome for the British driver, who struggled with engine problems and medium tires as he waited for rain that never came.
Hamilton’s second win in Sao Paulo was only possible after Force India’s backmarker Esteban Ocon clashed with race leader Verstappen on lap 44, causing both cars to spin. At the time, the Red Bull driver led Hamilton by five seconds.
“That (incident) put us back in contention,” Hamilton said of his rival’s setback. “Max is that go-getter guy and every now and again it bites you. But I am really, really proud here, I don’t care about anybody else.”
Off the track, the 21-year-old Dutchman later confronted — and pushed — former Formula 3 rival Ocon, who refused to apologize despite the stop-go punishment he was given during the race. The Force India driver finished 15th.
Verstappen managed to stay in the race after the incident and get closer to Hamilton in the final laps, but it wasn’t enough for his second consecutive victory.
“I hope I can’t find him in the paddock now,” Verstappen said of Ocon before he met the Force India driver after the race.
Verstappen was given an unusual punishment for the pushes and insults he aimed at Ocon - he will have to perform two days of public service at the direction of motorsport governing body FIA within six months.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen joined Hamilton and Verstappen on the podium. His teammate Sebastian Vettel, who is second in the overall standings, placed sixth.
Hamilton celebrated his win and his team’s fifth title with samba dancers on the podium, as Verstappen left still fuming.
“This is what everyone works for, we really pulled together as a unit this year,” Hamilton said. His teammate Valtteri Bottas finished fifth.
Mercedes now has an insurmountable 620 points against Ferrari’s 553. It was Hamilton’s 72nd victory in Formula One, a much celebrated one after all the problems he faced during the race.
“We were managing that in the last part of the race, we were losing some power,” the British driver said. In the first part of the race Hamilton kept the advantage he acquired by taking his 10th pole position of the season.
VERSTAPPEN ORDERED TO DO PUBLIC SERVICE
Formula One stewards ordered Max Verstappen to do two days of public service for an angry confrontation with Force India’s Esteban Ocon following the collision. The Red Bull driver, who had called the Frenchman an idiot over the radio among other more colourful language, was seen on television angrily confronting Ocon after the race and giving him a shove.
He was unrepentant when asked about it soon afterwards.
“We are passionate about the sport, right?,” he said. “It would be odd if I would shake his hand.”
Verstappen dismissed those who said he had taken things too far, adding: “I don’t care what those people say. I am a winner. To get taken out like that and then to get a stupid response from his side, I was unhappy about that.” 1. L Hamilton Mercedes
2. M Verstappen Red Bull
3. K Räikkönen Ferrari
4. D Ricciardo Red Bull
5. V Bottas Mercedes
6. S Vettel Ferrari
7. C Leclerc Sauber
8. R Grosjean Haas
9. KMagnussen Haas
10. S Pérez Force India 25 pts 18 15 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Kimi Räikkönen Valtteri Bottas Max Verstappen Daniel Ricciardo Nico Hülkenberg Sergio Pérez Kevin Magnussen Fernando Alonso
Mercedes Ferrari Red Bull Renault Haas 383 302 251 237 234 158 69 58 55 50
620 553 392 114 90