AUSTIN, TX – OCTOBER 21: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP talks with his engineers on the grid before the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 21, 2018 in Austin, United States. Mark Thompson/Getty Images/AFP
Kimi Raikkonen won the United States Grand Prix to delay Lewis Hamilton’s coronation as the Mercedes man could finish only third in Texas.
Had Hamilton converted from pole position, he would have sealed his fifth F1 Drivers’ Championship after Sebastian Vettel’s early collision saw him finish down in fourth.
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With the German fifth for much of the race, second place appeared likely to be enough for Hamilton, but after he was forced to pit on lap 37 due to tyre degradation, third place was all he could muster.
Vettel had Max Verstappen to thank as well as team-mate Raikkonen, who won for the first time since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, a gap of 113 races and 2044 days – the longest in the history of the sport.
Hamilton had Verstappen in his sights on lap 54 of 56, twice nudging ahead, but the Dutch youngster gave nothing away and Hamilton was forced to accept defeat as he flew wide out of turn 17.
Soon after, Vettel managed to reel in Valtteri Bottas and move into fourth, enough to extend the title race to Mexico even if the outcome has long appeared inevitable.
A thrilling race, then, and one, which went to the popular Finn.
Source: G Sport
