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Hamilton on top in Mexico

Published:Monday | October 28, 2019 | 12:29 AM
Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, celebrates after winning the Mexico Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City yesterday.
Eduardo Verdugo
Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, celebrates after winning the Mexico Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City yesterday.

MEXICO CITY (AP):

Lewis Hamilton overcame Ferrari’s front-row start to win the Mexican Grand Prix yesterday, moving the Mercedes driver closer to a sixth career Formula One championship.

Only Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas’ third-place finish denied Hamilton the championship by the slimmest of margins. Hamilton needed only to beat Bottas by 14 points, but picked up 10 instead. That sends the championship to next week’s US Grand Prix, where Hamilton has won five times since 2012.

“I don’t mind. I love racing,” Hamilton said after climbing out of his car. “This is a race I wanted to win for some time. It came together nicely.”

Mercedes gambled on an early tire change and Hamilton rode it all the way to the finish to get his 10th win of the season and first in Mexico City since 2016, the last time he was even on the podium in the high altitude of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Hamilton clinched the 2017 and 2018 titles in Mexico City.