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Formula 1: How Lewis Hamilton can clinch the 2018 championship in the U.S.

By Asher Fair

SUZUKA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 07: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 on track during the Formula One Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on October 7, 2018 in Suzuka. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
SUZUKA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 07: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 on track during the Formula One Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on October 7, 2018 in Suzuka. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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Lewis Hamilton has the ability to clinch the 2018 Formula 1 championship in the United States Grand Prix. What does he need to do to pull it off?

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton is set to enter the 18th race of the 21-race 2018 Formula 1 season, the United States Grand Prix, with a chance to clinch his fifth career Formula 1 championship.

Doing so would tie the 33-year-old Briton for second place on the all-time championships list with Juan Manuel Fangio. Only seven-time champion Michael Schumacher won more championships than Fangio did.

What needs to happen in this 56-lap race around the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.513-kilometer) Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas for Hamilton to clinch his fifth career Formula 1 championship?

Aside of Hamilton, who leads the driver standings with 331 points, only Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is still eligible to win this year’s driver championship.

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With four races remaining on the 2018 schedule, a maximum of 100 points are on the table for each driver since race victories are worth 25 points. Vettel sits in second place in the standings with 264 points, meaning he trails Hamilton by 67 points.

After the United States Grand Prix concludes, just three races will remain on the 2018 schedule, meaning a maximum of 75 points will be available for each driver. However, Hamilton only needs to be 75 points ahead of Vettel following this race to clinch the championship as opposed to 76 points.

This is the case because of the fact that Vettel cannot possibly win a tiebreaker over Hamilton. Vettel has earned five victories so far this season and Hamilton has earned nine. However, even if Vettel wins each of the four remaining races on the 2018 schedule, he would only tie Hamilton’s win total.

As a result, the tiebreaker would then become number of second place finishes. Hamilton has secured three second place finishes so far in 2018 while Vettel has only secured two. If Vettel wins each of the season’s final four races, which is the only possible way for him to tie Hamilton’s win total, then he would not be able to add to his second place finish total.

Here are the scenarios by which Hamilton can clinch his fifth career Formula 1 championship in the United States Grand Prix.

  • Hamilton wins and Vettel finishes in third place or lower
  • Hamilton finishes in second place and Vettel finishes in fifth or lower
  • Hamilton finishes in third place and Vettel finishes in seventh or lower
  • Hamilton finishes in fourth place and Vettel finishes in eighth or lower
  • Hamilton finishes in fifth place and Vettel finishes in ninth or lower
  • Hamilton finishes in sixth place and Vettel finishes in 11th or lower

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Will Lewis Hamilton clinch his fifth career Formula 1 championship in the United States Grand Prix or will Sebastian Vettel remain mathematically eligible to win his fifth career championship heading into the Mexican Grand Prix? Be sure to tune in to ABC at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 21 for the live broadcast of the race to find out.

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