Formula 1: Kimi Raikkonen ends drought, wins 2018 United States Grand Prix

By Asher Fair | Oct 21, 2018

AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 21: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland driving the (7) Scuderia Ferrari SF71H on track during the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 21, 2018 in Austin, United States. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /

Kimi Raikkonen ended his 111-race win drought by earning his first Formula 1 victory since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix in the United States Grand Prix.

Scuderia Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen earned his first victory since he returned to Ferrari in the 2014 Formula 1 season by winning the 18th race of the 21-race 2018 season, the United States Grand Prix, at Circuit of the Americas.

Heading into the race, the 39-year-old Finn last won a race when he was in his second and final season driving for Lotus. He earned this victory in the 2013 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix. He entered the United States Grand Prix on a 111-race win drought.

Raikkonen, who started the 56-lap race around the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.513-kilometer) Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas in second place, won it by 1.281 seconds over Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, who finished in second after starting all the way back in 18th. The win is the 21st win of Raikkonen’s Formula 1 career.

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Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton, who entered the race with a chance to clinch his fifth career Formula 1 championship and started it from the pole position, failed to do so by finishing in third place.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, the other driver who is still mathematically eligible to win this year’s championship, finished the race in fourth place. Hamilton needed to outscore Vettel by eight points to clinch the championship in this race, but because of where the two drivers finished, he only outscored him by three.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top five by finishing in fifth place. Renault Sport teammates Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr. finished in sixth and seventh, respectively, while Racing Point Force India teammates Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez finished in eighth and 10th, respectively. Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was the other driver who finished in the top 10. He finished in ninth.

The race featured a total of five lead changes among two drivers. Aside of Raikkonen, who led more laps than anybody else in the field with 39 laps led, only Hamilton led the race. He led the other 17 laps of it. Of the 20 drivers who started the race, 16 finished it. Of the 16 drivers who finished it, 10 finished it on the lead lap.

Here are the full race results of the 2018 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.

Race Results
1st – Kimi Raikkonen
2nd – Max Verstappen
3rd – Lewis Hamilton
4th – Sebastian Vettel
5th – Valtteri Bottas
6th – Nico Hulkenberg
7th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
8th – Esteban Ocon
9th – Kevin Magnussen
10th – Sergio Perez
11th – Brendon Hartley
12th – Marcus Ericsson
13th – Stoffel Vandoorne
14th – Pierre Gasly
15th – Sergey Sirotkin
16th – Lance Stroll
17th – Charles Leclerc
18th – Daniel Ricciardo
19th – Romain Grosjean
20th – Fernando Alonso

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Be sure to tune in to the next race on the 2018 Formula 1 schedule, the Mexican Grand Prix. This race is set to be broadcast live from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico beginning at 3:10 p.m. ET on ABC on Sunday, October 28.

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