Hamilton claims fifth F1 title

MEXICO CITY (AP):

Lewis Hamilton won his fifth career Formula One championship with a fourth-place finish yesterday at the Mexican Grand Prix, a race dominated by Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Hamilton's season championship was all but assured, and after a brief bid for the lead off the start and a scary run off the track late, he finished off the title with a drive further into the F1 record books. The British driver tied the late Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina for second-most titles in F1 history. Only Germany's Michael Schumacher has more with seven.

The 33-year-old Hamilton won titles with McLaren in 2008 and with Mercedes in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He also clinched last season's title in Mexico City.

Verstappen earned his fifth career victory and defended his 2017 race win.

At age 33, Hamilton can set his sights on something previously unthinkable: chasing Schumacher.

Best season

Hamilton's championship this season arguably ranks among his best. For the second consecutive year, he fended off a strong challenge from Ferrari in a season when even Hamilton had to admit that the Italian team often had the stronger car.

Title rival Sebastian Vettel finished second Sunday, and Ferrari also took third with Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton has won four of his five titles with Mercedes, and he's contract through 2020, a deal he extended this season. And even with Ferrari's mechanical gains, Mercedes shows no signs of slowing down. Hamilton's drive was not the Sunday leisure spin he had hoped for, as he complained of problems with the car and tyres for much of the race.

He even had a drive off into the grass when he missed the corner out of the long straight at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. He got the car back on the track without any damage, except for a moment's aggravation on his historic day.

"A very, very surreal moment," Hamilton said of his championship. "I was just trying to bring the car home."