Hamilton wins in Mexico but Rosberg is right behind
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[October 31, 2016]
By Alan Baldwin
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton
won the Mexican Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday, his landmark 51st
career victory cutting Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg's overall
lead to 19 points and keeping the German waiting for a first title.
The pole-to-flag victory was the triple world champion's eighth of
the season and put him level with France's Alain Prost in the
all-time lists of winners. Only Michael Schumacher (91) has more.
Rosberg, who would have clinched the title had he won and Hamilton
finished 10th or lower, crossed the line 8.354 seconds behind to
anchor champions Mercedes to a sixth one-two finish of the season.
The German can still clinch the title with a race in hand if he wins
at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit in Brazil in two weeks' time.
"Lewis has been too fast this weekend," said Rosberg. "I just have
to accept second place."
The race was largely processional until it exploded into controversy
in the final laps with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finishing fourth
and then promoted to the podium before demotion back to fifth.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was third on the track but was then handed
a five second penalty for gaining an advantage by going off, pushing
him down to fifth before Vettel's penalty for dangerous driving
lifted him back to fourth.
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That left Australian Daniel Ricciardo in third place but without a
podium appearance and the chance to pour the champagne into his boot
for another trademark 'shoey' celebration.
The Vettel-Verstappen-Ricciardo controversy provided the major
talking point of the day, with bad language flying and accusations
going to and fro.
"He has to let me go, he has to let me go," Vettel, who had been
trying to pass Verstappen on the 67th of the 71 laps, exclaimed
furiously over the team radio as the Dutchman refused to concede the
place.
Vettel also directed a foul-mouthed outburst at race director
Charlie Whiting, which was heard on television and for which he
apologized, and then swerved across to the Red Bull driver after the
finish with a finger raised and wagging.
"I was using a lot of sign language. You have to understand the
adrenaline," said the four-times champion.
Verstappen said Vettel should go back to school.
"I don't know how many times he is using very bad language," said
the teenager. "I will speak to him because this is how ridiculous he
is handling it, he is just a very frustrated guy at the moment."
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![](../images/103116pics/sports54.jpg)
Second placed finisher Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany (L)
applauds as his teammate, race winner Lewis Hamilton of Britain,
celebrates with his trophy. REUTERS/Henry Romero
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TIME PENALTY
Verstappen joined the Mercedes drivers in the waiting room before
the podium ceremony but was hauled out after his penalty was
imposed, with Vettel running hastily down the pit lane.
The arguments and accusations continued afterwards, with Vettel and
Ricciardo then summoned to stewards and the German accused of
changing his line while braking as Ricciardo tried to pass him.
In a race that saw all but one of the 22 starters finish, the safety
car was deployed on the second lap when Mexican Esteban Gutierrez
tagged Pascal Wehrlein's Manor and pushed him into Marcus Ericsson's
Sauber.
There was more drama at the front where Hamilton made a good getaway
but then locked up and trekked across the grass, cutting the first
corner.
That incident, which left him battling serious tire vibrations until
his first pitstop, was held up by Verstappen as inconsistent
stewarding, with the Briton also gaining an advantage but escaping
any sanction.
Verstappen and Rosberg also made contact at the start, with the
Dutch driver trying to find a way through on the inside from third
place on the grid, but stewards took no action.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was sixth, Nico Hulkenberg seventh for
Force India and the Williams pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe
Massa eighth and ninth.
Mexican Sergio Perez, the crowd favorite, took the final point for
Force India in 10th place after a long battle with Massa.
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(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris and Ian Ransom)
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