‘Champion of the world’: Lewis Hamilton wins sixth F1 title

Lewis Hamilton has clinched a sixth Formula 1 world championship title at the US Grand Prix.

The British racing driver, 34, is now just one behind all-time record holder Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton, who started the Texas race in fifth position on the grid, finished second behind Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas.

It means Hamilton has taken an unassailable lead over his only title rival Bottas with two races still to go in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. The Briton has now secured a fifth championship in six seasons.

Afterwards, he told his team on the radio: “Still we rise, guys. What an incredible weekend. To everyone that came out, I cannot believe it. I really can’t believe it.”

His race engineer Pete Bonnington said: “Champion of the world. You did that in style, mate.”

In his post-race comments, Hamilton, who has pulled one title clear of late Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio, said winning the world championship again was “overwhelming”, adding it was “such a tough race”.

He said it was “an honour to be up here with those greats”.

Asked how far he could go now, in terms of titles and wins, Hamilton replied: “I don’t know about championships but as an athlete I feel fresh as can be right now.

“I’m ready for the next race. These next races we won’t let up, we’ll keep pushing.”

Going into the US Grand Prix in Austin, he topped the table with a commanding 74 point lead over Bottas, who started on pole and had to win to have any chance of delaying the all but inevitable.

Hamilton could have crossed the line in eighth place and still secured the title even with a Bottas victory. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third in the race. Hamilton now has 381 points, compared with 314 for Bottas.

Sky News looks back on the triumphs that have made Hamilton the greatest driver of his generation.

2008

After an explosive debut season with McLaren that saw him become the youngest ever F1 championship runner-up, record-breaking Hamilton went one better in 2008.

The youngster won the first race of the season in Australia but it was not all plain sailing from there on out, with his success at the British GP notable for him having started the race in fourth after an error in qualifying.

At one point during the campaign he saw his lead in the standings cut to a single point after coming a disappointing seventh at the Italian GP, but he battled back again and became the youngest championship winner ever after a dramatic finale at the Brazilian GP on the final day of the season.

2014

Hamilton endured the most barren period of his career before winning his second championship, with came in his second season with Mercedes.

He enjoyed a season-long battle with teammate Nico Rosberg, who had finished two places above him in 2013, and claimed three straight race victories for the first time in his career by winning in Malaysia, Bahrain and China.

After the summer break he managed to win another five in a row, in Italy, Singapore, Japan, Russia and the US, before being crowned champion after the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

2015

Hamilton had the fastest car on the grid in 2015, the new W06 Hybrid, and took full advantage.

Consistent podium finishes throughout the year saw him awarded a three-year contract extension with Mercedes reportedly worth more than £100m, making him one of the best paid drivers in F1.

He ended up winning the championship with three races to spare by overtaking teammate Rosberg at the US GP, leaving the Briton to toast what he described as “the greatest moment of my life”.

2017

His rivalry with Rosberg came to an end when the German-Finnish racer retired after winning the 2016 championship, with the Finnish driver Bottas replacing him at Mercedes.

The introduction of bigger and wider cars gave the races a slightly different look and feel in 2017, and Hamilton found himself engaged in an epic title tussle with Ferrari’s Sebastien Vettel.

Hamilton ultimately emerged victorious after a series of stunning wins, including Silverstone, and ended the season in perfect style by claiming pole at the Abu Dhabi GP to secure his fourth championship.

2018

Success for Hamilton in 2017 meant the 2018 season was the first time that two four-time world champions would be competing against one another for their fifth title.

Fans and pundits hoping for a suitably close competition were left disappointed, as the German Vettel finished some 88 points behind Hamilton in the final standings.

Hamilton ended the campaign with 11 wins, 17 podium finishes and a record-breaking 408 points, which also helped him become the first ever driver to surpass a career total of 3,000 points.

Source : Sky News : http://news.sky.com/story/formula-1-lewis-hamilton-claims-sixth-world-championship-title-at-us-grand-prix-11853229