Max Verstappen took a surprising victory in the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, but the big story was Lewis Hamilton clinching his 4th Formula One title.
There may still be a handful of races left on the 2017 Formula One world championship calendar, but the fight for the driver’s title all comes down to Mexico. Sebastian Vettel stole the pole for the race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but would need to finish in the top two to keep his championship hopes alive. Unfortunately for Ferrari, and to the great joy of Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton would clinch his fourth F1 championship with Max Verstappen winning the Mexican Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who took his third career Formula One victory on Sunday, benefited from a chaotic opening lap that involved contact from multi-time world champions. Vettel, who started on pole, made contact with Hamilton in the opening two turns, damaging the Ferrari’s front wing and cutting down a tire on the Mercedes. Both would be relegated outside the top ten and out of winning contention.
Out front, it was a Sunday drive for Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, with a little heightened drama toward the end of the race. Engine manufacturer Renault was forced to battle through multiple engine failures, including Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley. Fortunately for Verstappen, his engine held together long enough to claim a second win in 2017.
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Lewis Hamilton clinched the Formula One driver’s championship, though likely not in the fashion he had hoped. Coming home in ninth and battling outside the points for most of the race, Hamilton was assured of the title as long as Vettel did not finish inside the top two spots. Hamilton now ties Vettel with four world championships, and becomes the British F1 driver with the most titles of all-time. The final crowning will occur after two more Grands Prix, at Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
Here are the full race results from the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez:
- Max Verstappen, Renault, Red Bull Racing
- Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, Mercedes AMG Petronas
- Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari
- Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari
- Esteban Ocon, Mercedes, Force India
- Lance Stroll, Mercedes, Williams Martini Racing
- Sergio Perez, Mercedes, Force India
- Kevin Magnussen, Ferrari, Haas F1
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Mercedes AMG Petronas
- Fernando Alonso, Honda, McLaren
- Felipe Massa, Mercedes, Williams Martini Racing
- Stoffel Vandoorne, Honda, McLaren
- Pierre Gasly, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Pascal Wehrlein, Ferrari, Sauber
- Romain Grosjean, Ferrari, Haas F1
- Carlos Sainz Jr., Renault, Renault Sport
- Marcus Ericsson, Ferrari, Sauber
- Brendon Hartley, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, Renault Sport
- Daniel Ricciardo, Renault, Red Bull Racing
Next: Who Drives for Toro Rosso in 2018?
The next race in the Formula One world championship is the sole round on the South American continent. Coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix can be seen on Sunday, November 12th live at 11:00 AM eastern on NBCSN and the NBC Sports app.