Lewis Hamilton crowned 2018 F1 world champion in Mexico
Lewis Hamilton has sealed the 2018 Formula 1 world championship at the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver could only manage a fourth-place finish in Mexico but it was enough to wrap up his fifth world title with two rounds to spare, with Vettel second on a weekend he needed to win.
After seeing his celebrations momentarily put on hold in Austin, the Briton headed into this weekend’s race with a 70-point cushion over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, knowing he only needed to score five points – the equivalent of a top-seven finish - to claim the championship.
Lewis Hamilton has sealed the 2018 Formula 1 world championship at the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver could only manage a fourth-place finish in Mexico but it was enough to wrap up his fifth world title with two rounds to spare, with Vettel second on a weekend he needed to win.
After seeing his celebrations momentarily put on hold in Austin, the Briton headed into this weekend’s race with a 70-point cushion over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, knowing he only needed to score five points – the equivalent of a top-seven finish - to claim the championship.
It marked the second year in a row that Hamilton has been coronated at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez circuit in Mexico City.
A remarkable run of form in the second half of 2018, including six victories from the last nine events, enabled Hamilton to beat Vettel in the race to secure a fifth drivers’ crown.
Hamilton has now become just the third driver in F1 history to claim five or more world titles, joining an exclusive club featuring five-time winner Juan Manuel Fangio and all-time record holder Michael Schumacher.
The 33-year-old ensured Mercedes continued its impressive clean sweep of winning every single drivers’ world title on offer across the V6 hybrid era (2014-2018).
Following the result in Mexico, Mercedes is on the verge of sealing a fifth consecutive constructors’ championship, a feat which would see it surpass Red Bull's total of four straight wins between 2010 and 2013.
Adding to his previous world championship triumphs in 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2017, Hamilton now sits within two titles of matching Schumacher’s tally of seven.
Hamilton, who has racked up 50 grand prix victories in Mercedes colours and 71 in total, is also edging closer to Schumacher’s record of 91.
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