Lewis Hamilton has won his first Grand Prix as a five-time World Champion, securing his Mercedes team the World Championship title with the design engineers. The Briton won Sunday’s Brazilian GP in Sao Paulo ahead of Max Verstappen in Red Bull and Kimi Raikkonen in Ferrari, celebrating his tenth win of the season and 72nd success of his career.
Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas finished fifth in Interlagos behind Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. Vice World Champion Sebastian Vettel did not get past sixth in the second Ferrari. This fixed the Silver Arrows in the penultimate race of the season before Ferrari their fifth team title in series. The last World Championship round of the year will take place on November 25th in Abu Dhabi.
Ocon prevents Verstappen victory
The only pilot to challenge Hamilton for victory in the Jose Carlos Pace autodromo was Verstappen. The 21-year-old Dutchman changed the tires much later than the world champion and overtook him afterwards. But with two seconds ahead he was beaten in the 43rd of 71 laps in the rounding of Esteban Ocon by Racing Point pilot from the track. Hamilton took advantage of the turning of Verstappens and saved the victory over time.
„The car worked great, the team had the right strategy. And then you will be released like that. I miss the words, „Verstappen said. As if over the radio, he called Ocon again as „idiot“.
At Hamilton and the Mercedes team, however, the cheering was great. „It was the best style today,“ said the 33-year-old Englishman. „It’s been an amazing trip with the team, all of whom have been working so hard for the past few years, and we’ve stuck together as a unit.“
