ADULT CHAT LINE
Lewis is muted in Mexico but fourth place is enough to seal incredible fifth world crown
LEWIS HAMILTON sealed his place as one of Britain’s greatest-ever sportsmen when he was crowned world champion for a fifth time in Mexico.
The Mercedes ace joined an elite club of just two other drivers as he equalled Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio’s tally set in the 1950s and moved within two of matching Michael Schumacher’s record of seven F1 drivers’ crowns.
Hamilton could not mark his triumph with victory as he coasted home in fourth place after a muted display, having struggled with tyres throughout the race.
But rival Sebastian Vettel (below) could only finish second in a grand prix he had to win and hope Hamilton finished outside the top seven as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen triumphed with Kimi Raikkonen third in the other Ferrari. Over a minute behind, Hamilton cruised in, taking no risks to claim the title for the second year in a row in Mexico.
It was hardly a fiesta of a race, but that would have not stopped the fireworks.
And Hamilton proved he is by far the quickest and most skilled driver of his generation and rightfully ranks among the very best in the history of the sport.
The 33-yearold now surely deserves to join Britain’s other sporting knights like Sirs Roger Bannister, Steve Redgrave and Jackie Stewart – the three-time champ who was in Mexico to witness Hamilton’s latest title triumph – and get the royal seal of approval.
As Mexicans celebrated the Day of the Dead, Hamilton sounded the death knell for fellow four-time champ Vettel’s challenge. Having been forced to wait a week after finishing third in the United States last Sunday, the signs were good that the kid from a council estate in Stevenage would be cracking open the champagne this time. He only needed to score five points – by finishing seventh if Vettel won the race – to make the remaining rounds in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi meaningless. Vettel, who had never won a race from below third on the grid, was behind Hamilton in fourth place before the start.
The biggest danger to the Brit’s hopes would be the long, 890metre drag down to the first corner at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, packed to its 135,000 capacity. With the fighting Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Verstappen, gutted at missing out on becoming the youngest pole winner in history by just 0.026secs in front of him, and a desperate Vettel alongside, there was every prospect of a first corner pile-up.
But Hamilton made a dream start from third to snatch second place as Verstappen (left) beat his team-mate to head the race with Vettel unable to make up any ground to stay fourth.
Vettel took second when Ricciardo’s engine started blowing out smoke, heralding his eighth retirement of the season with 10 laps left. No wonder he is moving to Renault next season.
But the German had little chance of catching Verstappen as he claimed his fifth career win.
Hamilton then pushed his car through a series of celebratory “doughnut” spins in the track’s stadium section.