Hamilton wins Brazil F1 as Verstappen left fuming over crash
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton saw victory fall into his lap at the Brazilian Grand Prix as his Mercedes team clinched the constructors' title for the fifth year in a row.
Key points
- The Mercedes team clinches the Formula One constructors' title with Lewis Hamilton's win in Brazil
- The victory gave Mercedes the double along with Lewis Hamilton's Formula One drivers' title
- Red Bull driver Max Verstappen had been leading, but he was taken out by Force India's Esteban Ocon
The win was Hamilton's 10th of the season and 72nd of his career. The Briton had already won the drivers' title for a fifth time.
Hamilton started on pole position but was no match for Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who led until a collision with the Force India of already-lapped Esteban Ocon sent him into a spin, putting the champion back in front.
External Link: Formula 1 tweet: Lap 44, Max is leading the race, then this… #BrazilGP #F1
Verstappen finished second, still seething, while Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took third.
Verstappen, winner in Mexico two weeks ago, was left to stand on the second step of the podium, but the Dutchman knew it should have been the top step.
The collision was the talking point of the day, with arguments on both sides and angry scenes in the paddock afterwards.
Ocon was handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for causing the collision but that came as no consolation for Verstappen, whose colourful language over the radio was largely bleeped out for television viewers.
Verstappen managed to stay in the race after the incident and get closer to Hamilton in the final laps, but it wasn't enough for his second consecutive victory.
"I hope I can't find him in the paddock now," Verstappen said of Ocon, who finished 15th.
When the Dutchman eventually did see Ocon, at the post-race scales, matters became more physical with the Red Bull driver confronting the young Frenchman and giving him a push.
External Link: Formula 1 tweet: There was contact on the track, and a bit off it too #BrazilGP #F1
"You do everything well, you go through the field, we had a great car and then by such an idiot you get taken out while he's being lapped. I have no words," Verstappen said.
The day got worse for Verstappen. After his confrontation with Ocon in the garage, the Dutch driver had to appear before the stewards and was penalised by being made to perform two days of community service "at the direction of the FIA" in the next six months.
"While sympathetic to Verstappen's passion, the Stewards determined that it is the obligation of sportsmen at this level to act appropriately and as role models to other drivers at all levels and found that Verstappen failed in this respect," the FIA said in a statement.
Meanwhile for Hamilton and Mercedes, it was celebration time.
"That's it. That's the double, mate. MercedesAMG are the world champs," Hamilton was told as he took the chequered flag at Interlagos after a race fraught with concerns about his tyres and engine.
"It's been an incredible journey with them. This is what everyone worked for, for the whole year," the ecstatic 33-year-old said as the celebrations started with one race to go.
"I've always told you how much of an honour it is to drive for them. Today was the best style that we could do it because we were struggling, we had problems to the end. We were a sitting duck at one stage."
Only Ferrari have previously managed to win five championships in a row, taking six in succession during the Michael Schumacher era from 1999 to 2004.
With both titles wrapped up, only pride will be on the line in the final grand prix of the season in a fortnight's time in Abu Dhabi.
External Link: Formula 1 tweet: Watch that barrier, lads … Oops, too late #BrazilGP #F1
Reuters/AP
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