Raikkonen spoils Hamilton’s party

| | Austin
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Raikkonen spoils Hamilton’s party

Tuesday, 23 October 2018 | AFP | Austin

Raikkonen spoils Hamilton’s party

Lewis Hamilton was forced to wait for a fifth world title when he finished third at the US Grand Prix as Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took a first victory in more than five years.

Title rival Sebastian Vettel in another Ferrari was fourth meaning the championship race will probably be decided in Mexico next weekend instead.

Hamilton now leads Vettel by 70 points and with 75 remaining in the final three races he can clinch his fifth title by finishing seventh in Mexico, if Vettel wins.

If Vettel fails to win, Hamilton will be champion. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second on Sunday after starting in 18th place.

"Congratulations to Kimi, and great job from Max too. This was the best we could do today, and it was great that we got to do some racing," said Hamilton who had started on pole position and was looking for a sixth win at the Circuit of the Americas.

Raikkonen, whose last win was at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, was deadpan.

"Obviously I'm much happier than finishing second. It's been a great weekend and the car has been pretty good all the time," said the 39-year-old Finn.

Raikkonen, who will leave Ferrari for Sauber at the end of the season, claimed the lead on the opening lap and rode his luck in a strategic and tactical race to claim the 21st victory of his career.

It was his first win in 113 races, the longest period between wins in F1 history, breaking the previous record held by Italian Riccardo Patrese.

Raikkonen came home 1.3 seconds ahead of Verstappen with Hamilton finishing a further second adrift after failing to battle past the Dutchman in the final laps.

Vettel recovered from an opening lap spin to keep is slender title hopes alive.

Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was fifth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and his Renault team-mate Carlos Sainz.

Esteban Ocon of Force India came home eighth ahead of Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Sergio Perez in the second Force India.

Afte the race Championship leader Lewis Hamilton said Mercedes made life difficult for themselves with a cautious race strategy in the United States Grand Prix.

The 33-year-old Briton, who finished third, but missed out on clinching his fifth drivers title, told reporters that he was surprised when he was called in for an early pit-stop to take advantage of a Virtual Safety Car intervention on lap 11.

"It was a little bit of a surprise," said the Mercedes man after finishing behind race winner Kimi Raikkonen in a Ferrari and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

"And once we'd done the stop on 11, I knew I would be doing a two-stop.

"We just made it so hard for ourselves. When we came out, I had to catch Kimi, I caught him, but my tyres were dead.

"Then he did his stop and was catching me with fresh tyres -- and then I came out, after the last stop, and had 12 seconds to catch up. It just made it so hard for us even to compete today."

Despite his disappointment, Hamilton seems assured of wrapping up the title in Mexico next weekend.

 

'Did you win title or not?'

Kimi Raikkonen lived up to expectations when he refused to change his customary laconic style after claiming his first Formula One win for more than five years.

But the 39-year-old Finn could not resist an ultra-dry riposte at the expense of Lewis Hamilton on Sunday.

Sitting in the green pre-podium room after the race, he leaned across to speak to the Briton, who was frustrated in his bid to clinch a fifth title and finished third.

"So, did you win the championship today?" asked the Ferrari man.

Raikkonen and Hamilton may both have been unaware of it, but Sunday's race came exactly 11 years after the Finn's victory and drivers' title triumph for Ferrari in Brazil in Hamilton's 2007 debut season.

That race ended the Englishman's title dream for that season.

Typically, Raikkonen played down his success on Sunday while all around him dashed around in celebration.

"It's not going to change my life," he said. "The champagne tastes the same. It's no different to the last time on the podium.

"We always come to the weekend to do our best and if we do our best then we expect to be up there to fight for the win. We did it today. I felt confident and it worked out.

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