Hamilton talks down chances of sealing F1 title in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton has downplayed his chances of clinching a sixth Formula 1 world championship at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix. 

The Briton can claim his sixth drivers’ world title in Mexico City if he outscores Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 14 points in Sunday’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the venue he has sealed his last two championships at. 

But Hamilton insists he is not worried about when or where he wins the 2019 crown and is expecting a difficult weekend at a circuit Mercedes has struggled at in recent years. 

“I don’t remember if in a season I’ve finished 14 points ahead of Valtteri at any point, and if it has it may have been one race maybe - so I anticipate that it will be a difficult weekend,” Hamilton said. 

“Valtteri has been strong all year and obviously won the last race so I expect him to be strong this weekend too. 

“It doesn’t matter where it’s done, as long as you get it done, and that’s what I’m trying to do. But I’m fully aware that there are still plenty of points on the table and I’ve got to deliver over these next four races.”

Adding to Hamilton’s task is the current form of Mercedes chief rivals Ferrari and Red Bull. The Scuderia has been the team to beat following its resurgence since the summer break, having claimed three victories and five straight pole positions in the last five rounds. 

Asked if he feels confident that Mercedes can end Ferrari’s current streak of poles, Hamilton replied: “I don’t think a lot has changed. 

“We’re going to go into this weekend knowing that Ferrari are massively quick usually on the straights and obviously straights are a powerful element of this circuit, so I don’t know when we’ll be getting another pole – unless it rains, which can change everything. 

“But as you’ve seen in previous races it’s not necessarily all about qualifying nowadays. It’s about making sure you’ve got the car ready for the race, so we’ll still give it everything. 

“This is a race that bodes well for the Red Bulls and the Ferraris in the past, but we’ve made a lot of improvements in our understanding of the car and how we use it, so maybe this weekend maybe we’ll a better chance than we have in the past.”