Say what you want about Lewis Hamilton, but he now is among Formula One’s all-time greats.
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver clinched his fourth F1 World Championship with a ninth-place finish in the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday. Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen picked up his third careerĀ victory, while Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who’s been battling Hamilton for the title all season, finished P4, and will settle for no better than second in the championship standings.
Here’s Hamilton waiving the British flag as he celebrates his fourth championship:
And here’s his message to fans after winning:
While the Mexican GP finished in a celebration, it certainly began with controversy.
Hamilton and Vettel clashed on the first lap in an incident that left Hamilton with a punctured tire. The two rivals were forced to the back of the pack, which put a damper on the race, as fans surely were hoping for a neck-and-neck battle between the two title contenders.
Still, Hamilton battled back to ninth, which gave him enough points to secure the title.
Here’s the 32-year-old after the race:
And here’s Vettel congratulating the champ both on and off the track:
Hamilton went for quite the victory lap after winning the championship.
With the win, Hamilton became Great Britain’s most successful driver, and also became just the fifth F1 driver to win four titles.
He joins Vettel,Ā Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost in the ranks of four-time champions.
Thumbnail photo via Mercedes-AMG Petronas
