Title fight could take big swing
It’s going to be incredibly difficult, Hamilton says
The US Grand Prix is not a must-win race for Lewis Hamilton, and the seven-time champion brushed off such a suggestion even as he trails Max Verstappen in the title fight and his rival should be favoured at Mexico City in the next round.
Verstappen is a two-time winner in Mexico City, where Formula One races Nov. 7 and the Red Bull team has been dominant. But up first is tomorrow’s race at the Circuit of the Americas and Hamilton, who calls COTA his “happy hunting ground” because he’s won five times in Texas, trails Verstappen by six points in the standings.
“It’s important to win every race somehow, you know, maximising our points, that’s our goal over these next six races,” Hamilton said. “It’s going to be incredibly difficult and there will be moments where we can perhaps edge (Red Bull) out. I don’t like to assume that Mexico is not going to be strong but they are usually very strong in Mexico.”
Formula One returns to North America its next two rounds for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Races in Austin and Mexico City were cancelled last year, and Montreal is set to return next year for the first time since 2019.
The series comes back now with a thrilling title fight between upstart Verstappen and the superstar Hamilton. He clinched his 2015 and 2019 titles at COTA and Hamilton has won in five of F1’s eight races at the track.
Verstappen, a seven-time winner this season, hasn’t won at COTA but has been good. His sensational drive in the rain to fourth as a 17-yearold rookie with Toro Rosso in 2015 unveiled his potential as a championship contender.