Lewis Hamilton grabbed the British Union Jack for a “victory” lap, and then draped it over his shoulders. There was no way he was going to let it go.
Hamilton won his fourth career Formula One championship Sunday with a ninth-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, a rare finish away from the podium but one good enough to win a title that makes him the most decorated British driver in history.
AFP
“It’s been a long journey,” said Hamilton, who won his first championship in 2008. “This week I’ve been reminiscent of where I came from, dreaming of being in Formula One.”
None of it came easy Sunday in a race where he had to overcome a first-lap tire puncture and scramble to finish off title rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari. It was a bump from Vettel shortly after the start that made an expected title more stressful than anyone at Mercedes expected.
The ninth-place finish was Hamilton’s worst of the season, but it also closed out Vettel with two races left.
“Not the race you wanted, but who cares?” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff radioed Hamilton after the race.
Reuters
Not Hamilton.
He passed Sir Jackie Stewart for the most championships won by a British driver. Formula One’s first and only black driver also joined Vettel and Alain Prost as four-time winners. Only Argentina’s Juan Miguel Fangio (five) and Germany’s Michael Schumacher (seven) have won more.
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