The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Win may be too little, too late, accepts Hamilton
Victories ‘possibly too late’ in season for defending champion
Lewis Hamilton has conceded his resurgence in form may have arrived too late to win him the world championship.
Hamilton’s victory in Mexico was his second in a week, but the title remains in Nico Rosberg’s control after he finished second.
Indeed the German, 19 points clear of Hamilton with only two races left, can win the championship if he triumphs at the Brazilian Grand Prix in a fortnight.
Hamilton recorded the 51st victory of his career on Sunday to move alongside four-time world champion Alain Prost in the all-time winners’ list.
Only Michael Schumacher has won more grands prix, but the 31-year-old Briton fears his run of successive wins in America and in Mexico City may not be enough to secure his fourth title.
“It’s a shame that these results are coming so late in the season, possibly too late ,” said Hamilton, who would be leading the championship had his engine not failed in Malaysia earlier this month.
“You can look back and say that maybe if Malaysia didn’t happen then I’d be in a different position right now. I am fighting for something that I don’t know if I will be able to make.
“It is an unusual scenario to be in, but I have got to push all the way to the end.
“One way it can be painful, and one way it can be a great thing, but all I know, from the beginning of my career in Formula One is that right until the last minute it can change.”
Despite his win in Mexico, there was an air of resignation about Hamilton.
The Briton knows he can win at the remaining rounds in Brazil and Abu Dhabi and still fall short, while Rosberg can afford to finish second and third to clinch his maiden title.
“It is cool to be in that situation, but I am not going to change my approach because that is what feels best,” said Rosberg.
Hamilton’s win was overshadowed by a series of expletive-filled radio messages from Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel to race director Charlie Whiting as he battled with Max Verstappen in the closing stages.
Vettel, who could be reprimanded by the sport’s governing body FIA for his outburst, was initially promoted to third after Verstappen was penalised for skipping the chicane at turn one.
But, following a separate stewards’ investigation, Vettel dropped back to fifth after he was handed a 10-second penalty for dangerous driving as he defended against Daniel Ricciardo.
It meant the Australian finished third, with Verstappen in fourth.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who oversaw Vettel winning four consecutive titles at Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, said: “In any sport you can’t give abuse to the referee essentially, so I would be surprised if that went unreprimanded.”