In the canon of catapulting drives from the outer darkness, Lewis Hamilton produced one of Formula One’s
finest yesterday, starting in the pit lane under flawless Brazilian
skies and finishing a mere five seconds adrift of winner Sebastian
Vettel. It was as if he had reconnected with his younger karting self,
deciding, after the catharsis of his fourth world title, that it was
time to have some fun.
After the indignity of crashing out in qualifying, Hamilton mustered quite the riposte here at Interlagos, scything through the field with exquisite timing and instinct. Even Fernando Alonso, his old nemesis at McLaren and often deemed the one driver who could hold a candle to his race-craft, offered no resistance. “My goal was just to redeem myself, to do the team proud,” he said.
There have been more significant come-from-behind surges, not least John Watson’s success in propelling himself from 22nd on the grid to victory at Long Beach in 1983. Watson’s team-mate that day was a certain Niki Lauda, now non-executive chairman at Mercedes and one of Hamilton’s most passionate advocates. His verdict on this latest exhibition? “Incredible.”
For a while, Hamilton was even leading, courtesy of a canny Mercedes pit-stop strategy as his engineers sought to undercut Ferrari. Ultimately, there was no be denying Vettel, who reeled off fastest laps with metronomic consistency, after his engine was dialled up to its most screaming.
After the indignity of crashing out in qualifying, Hamilton mustered quite the riposte here at Interlagos, scything through the field with exquisite timing and instinct. Even Fernando Alonso, his old nemesis at McLaren and often deemed the one driver who could hold a candle to his race-craft, offered no resistance. “My goal was just to redeem myself, to do the team proud,” he said.
There have been more significant come-from-behind surges, not least John Watson’s success in propelling himself from 22nd on the grid to victory at Long Beach in 1983. Watson’s team-mate that day was a certain Niki Lauda, now non-executive chairman at Mercedes and one of Hamilton’s most passionate advocates. His verdict on this latest exhibition? “Incredible.”
For a while, Hamilton was even leading, courtesy of a canny Mercedes pit-stop strategy as his engineers sought to undercut Ferrari. Ultimately, there was no be denying Vettel, who reeled off fastest laps with metronomic consistency, after his engine was dialled up to its most screaming.
But it
was the quadruple world champion who drew all driver-of-the-day
plaudits, shaking off the after-effects of his smash – which required
almost an entire reconstruction of his car in 24 hours – to challenge
Kimi Raikkonen for a podium spot. All things considered, fourth place
had seldom been so satisfying.
“I had messed up in qualifying to put myself in the worst possible position,” Hamilton reflected. “I was quick enough to win the race from pole to the flag, but I made the job a lot harder. I was trying to get back to third, I just ran out of tyres in the end. But I enjoyed the race and I enjoyed the battle. It continues to show to me and, I hope, to everyone that I still have a lot of fire, that I’m still young at heart and that I still have many, many more races to go.”
This was one of Hamilton’s most emphatic statements that he intended to stay in F1 for the long haul. Only 32, and a far more complete driver than in his youth, he is only likely to stop in this sport if he loses interest.
But there appeared scant danger of that as he wore a bright yellow helmet in honour of his late idol Ayrton Senna, attacking this grand prix with an audacity that the Brazilian would have applauded. Soon enough he will sign a contract extension with Mercedes that could earn him a record £45 million a year.
“I had messed up in qualifying to put myself in the worst possible position,” Hamilton reflected. “I was quick enough to win the race from pole to the flag, but I made the job a lot harder. I was trying to get back to third, I just ran out of tyres in the end. But I enjoyed the race and I enjoyed the battle. It continues to show to me and, I hope, to everyone that I still have a lot of fire, that I’m still young at heart and that I still have many, many more races to go.”
This was one of Hamilton’s most emphatic statements that he intended to stay in F1 for the long haul. Only 32, and a far more complete driver than in his youth, he is only likely to stop in this sport if he loses interest.
But there appeared scant danger of that as he wore a bright yellow helmet in honour of his late idol Ayrton Senna, attacking this grand prix with an audacity that the Brazilian would have applauded. Soon enough he will sign a contract extension with Mercedes that could earn him a record £45 million a year.
His
rivalry with Vettel, likewise, looks poised to last. So evenly matched
were Mercedes and Ferrari yesterday that a mere five seconds separated
first and fourth. In another example of this season’s mystifying turns,
Red Bull, who had streaked to victory two weeks earlier in Mexico, were
“not in the race”, in the words of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff,
more than half a minute distant.
For Vettel, who never looked back after darting past pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas at Turn One, this was a triumph tinged with a sense of lost opportunity. There has been such a delicate sliver of difference between the pace of Vettel and Hamilton this year that their duel seemed primed to endure the final race in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight’s time.
Alas, that prospect was eradicated by Ferrari’s errors in the Far East over recent weeks, and one could sense the frustration in Vettel’s voice. His message of *Grazie, ragazzi* to his team garage carried barely a hint of emotion. The best response to a sense of loss, or so the theory goes is to keep busy. The German was not about to demur. “It helps that there are races, to get over it,” he said. “It helps to have something to do.”
For Vettel, who never looked back after darting past pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas at Turn One, this was a triumph tinged with a sense of lost opportunity. There has been such a delicate sliver of difference between the pace of Vettel and Hamilton this year that their duel seemed primed to endure the final race in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight’s time.
Alas, that prospect was eradicated by Ferrari’s errors in the Far East over recent weeks, and one could sense the frustration in Vettel’s voice. His message of *Grazie, ragazzi* to his team garage carried barely a hint of emotion. The best response to a sense of loss, or so the theory goes is to keep busy. The German was not about to demur. “It helps that there are races, to get over it,” he said. “It helps to have something to do.”
In a
wider context, no team has had a more draining weekend in Sao Paulo than
Mercedes. Several members of staff had valuables and passports stolen
in an armed ambush on Friday night, even before they faced the toil of
reassembling Hamilton’s shattered car.
“This has been a weekend of extreme and contrasting emotions for us, but this morning the guys came in and rebuilt Lewis’ car from the ground up,” Wolff said. “It has been humbling to see their resilience.”
Bottas had his chance to write a rousing ending to his colleagues’ ordeal, having delivered a brilliant qualifying lap, but he encountered a spot of wheelspin off the start as Vettel streaked by. Once the safety car peeled in, after damage from a crash between Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen was cleared, Vettel never took a backward glance. Hamilton, in pristine weather unusual for this race, simply soaked up the sunshine. This felt, in every respect, like his lap of honour.
“This has been a weekend of extreme and contrasting emotions for us, but this morning the guys came in and rebuilt Lewis’ car from the ground up,” Wolff said. “It has been humbling to see their resilience.”
Bottas had his chance to write a rousing ending to his colleagues’ ordeal, having delivered a brilliant qualifying lap, but he encountered a spot of wheelspin off the start as Vettel streaked by. Once the safety car peeled in, after damage from a crash between Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen was cleared, Vettel never took a backward glance. Hamilton, in pristine weather unusual for this race, simply soaked up the sunshine. This felt, in every respect, like his lap of honour.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL WINS THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
Vettel takes the chequered flag ahead of Bottas, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Massa, Alonso, Perez and Hulkenberg.
Massa somehow held onto P7 with ALonso and Perez breathing down his neck and the Brazilian will be missed, that is for sure.
P11 is Sainz and followed byt Gasly, Ericsson, Wehrlein, Grosjean and Stroll.
Massa somehow held onto P7 with ALonso and Perez breathing down his neck and the Brazilian will be missed, that is for sure.
P11 is Sainz and followed byt Gasly, Ericsson, Wehrlein, Grosjean and Stroll.
Lap 69 of 71
Massa,
Alonso and Perez have just 1s between them as they all fight for P7.
Either way, we will see Massa on the podium after the race as the local
boy is celebrated.
Stroll is out after his front left tyre goes, which is interesting as he did query it and was told it was safe about five laps ago. It looks like he was right.
Stroll is out after his front left tyre goes, which is interesting as he did query it and was told it was safe about five laps ago. It looks like he was right.
Lap 64 of 71
Hamilton sets a new lap record of 1:932! Impressive.
Verstappen is having a full-blown conversation with his team about his preference to make a pit-stop with less than ten laps remaining. He does pit and will come back out without having lost a place.
Vettel only has a 2.5s lead over Bottas and the Ferrari man has been advised to nurse his tyres. Hamilton is less than 2s behind Raikkonen in third.
Verstappen is having a full-blown conversation with his team about his preference to make a pit-stop with less than ten laps remaining. He does pit and will come back out without having lost a place.
Vettel only has a 2.5s lead over Bottas and the Ferrari man has been advised to nurse his tyres. Hamilton is less than 2s behind Raikkonen in third.
Lap 61 of 71
Hamilton
gets P4 at the second attempt after some good defending from the Red
Bull man, but with DRS and fresher tyres it wasn't too hard for the
Mercedes man.
He's 5s behind Raikkonen with 11 laps to go.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Massa, Alonso, Perez, Hulkenberg.
P11 is Sainz, followed by Gasly, Wehrlein, Stroll, Ericsson and Grosjean.
Hartley, Ocon and Magnussen have retired.
He's 5s behind Raikkonen with 11 laps to go.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Massa, Alonso, Perez, Hulkenberg.
P11 is Sainz, followed by Gasly, Wehrlein, Stroll, Ericsson and Grosjean.
Hartley, Ocon and Magnussen have retired.
Lap 55 of 71
Hamilton
gets the gap to Verstappen down to 4s after a lap time of 1:12.456 and
the youngster is unhappy with his tyres once again.
Raikkonen has been quietly going about his business in P3 and cut the gap between him and Bottas to 2s with the Mercedes man being told not to hold back on the radio.
Raikkonen has been quietly going about his business in P3 and cut the gap between him and Bottas to 2s with the Mercedes man being told not to hold back on the radio.
Lap 44
Hamilton and then Ricciardo pit and the Mercedes man comes out in P5, ahead of Massa and Alonso. Ricciardo is now in P8.
Both men have had impressive drives so far today. Bono has just told Hamilton they are chasing a podium, as Ferrari told Raikkonen earlier.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hamilton, Massa, Ricciardo, Alonso, Perez and Hulkenberg.
Both men have had impressive drives so far today. Bono has just told Hamilton they are chasing a podium, as Ferrari told Raikkonen earlier.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hamilton, Massa, Ricciardo, Alonso, Perez and Hulkenberg.
Lap 41 of 71
Hulkenberg gets himself into the points as he makes a smart move on Gasly.
Vertsappen is having fun with these new tyres and is the fastest man out on track.
Further back Alonso is keen to take Massa's P7 as his engineer says 'let's go get him them'.
Stroll and Grosjean are fighting over P15 as the Canadian takes it in Turn 2, but the more experienced driver retakes it straight away.
Hartley is told to pit as the Toro Rosso team have to retire the car. This should lead to more interesting debates with Renault who supply their power units...
Vertsappen is having fun with these new tyres and is the fastest man out on track.
Further back Alonso is keen to take Massa's P7 as his engineer says 'let's go get him them'.
Stroll and Grosjean are fighting over P15 as the Canadian takes it in Turn 2, but the more experienced driver retakes it straight away.
Hartley is told to pit as the Toro Rosso team have to retire the car. This should lead to more interesting debates with Renault who supply their power units...
Lap 38 of 71
Perez pits and goes onto the soft tyres and comes out two places back in ninth.
Halfway through the race Hamilton leads Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Massa, Alonso, Perez and Gasly.
Hulkenberg is in P11, ahead of Sainz, Wehrlein, Ericsson, Grosjean, Stroll and Hartley.
Hamilton has a lead of 3.654 and he is yet to pit.
Halfway through the race Hamilton leads Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Massa, Alonso, Perez and Gasly.
Hulkenberg is in P11, ahead of Sainz, Wehrlein, Ericsson, Grosjean, Stroll and Hartley.
Hamilton has a lead of 3.654 and he is yet to pit.
Lap 35 of 71
Ricciardo has been told that his teammate is behind him and on fresher tyres so he is not to hold him up.
Although Hamilton leads, but he still needs to pit and a Ferrari engineer has just told Raikkonen that the Mercedes driver will be a threat to him at the end of the race.
The Finn has just set a new lap record of 1:12.945.
Although Hamilton leads, but he still needs to pit and a Ferrari engineer has just told Raikkonen that the Mercedes driver will be a threat to him at the end of the race.
The Finn has just set a new lap record of 1:12.945.
Lap 32 of 71
Vettel
manages to come out just, just ahead of Bottas to take P3 and you have
to wonder if it was a mistake by Ferrari to wait. Verstappen also pitted
and rejoined in P7.
Ricciardo has moved up to fifth place - for a big lad the Red Bull driver is very stealthy.
Hamilton leads Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Massa and Alonso.
The champion hasn't pitted yet.
Ricciardo has moved up to fifth place - for a big lad the Red Bull driver is very stealthy.
Hamilton leads Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Massa and Alonso.
The champion hasn't pitted yet.
Lap 29 of 71
Verstappen
basically begging to come in and change his tyres. He has Hamilton
behind him who has cut the gap from 16s to 6 in about five laps. Red
Bull will want him to come back out in a reasonable position.
Ricciardo is honing in on Perez as Bottas pits. Mercedes are going for the undercut strategy, with Massa also pitting. The Finn comes out just behind his teammate who has just set the fastest first sector time.
Vettel is in the pits now.
Ricciardo is honing in on Perez as Bottas pits. Mercedes are going for the undercut strategy, with Massa also pitting. The Finn comes out just behind his teammate who has just set the fastest first sector time.
Vettel is in the pits now.
Lap 20 of 71
Raikkonen and
Massa both concerned with the tyres, with the latter being hunted down
by Alonso who has been very fast this weekend.
The Briton is into 6th and there was little fight from Alonso who knows his car can't battle with a Mercedes.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Perez, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg.
Sainz is P11 and followed by Gasly, Stroll, Hartley, Ericsson, Wehrlein and Grosjean.
Hamilton takes Massa and is into the top five.
The Briton is into 6th and there was little fight from Alonso who knows his car can't battle with a Mercedes.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Perez, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg.
Sainz is P11 and followed by Gasly, Stroll, Hartley, Ericsson, Wehrlein and Grosjean.
Hamilton takes Massa and is into the top five.
Lap 17 of 71
Vettel has a lead over Bottas to 2.047, with Raikkonen a further 3s behind.
Ricciardo, Vandoorne and Magnussen will visit the stewards after the race to discuss their incident but the Australian won's mind as he makes his way into the points with a simple pass on Sainz.
Verstappen feels he can go faster but Raikkonen is holding him up - there is 1.3s between them.
Ricciardo, Vandoorne and Magnussen will visit the stewards after the race to discuss their incident but the Australian won's mind as he makes his way into the points with a simple pass on Sainz.
Verstappen feels he can go faster but Raikkonen is holding him up - there is 1.3s between them.
Lap 10 of 71
Hamilton is like a man possessed as he's just outside the points after Ericsson was he latest victim.
Vettel has a 1.755 lead on Bottas who is followed by Raikkonen, Verstappen, Massa, Alonso, Perez, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Hamilton. The champion dove past Gasly to get himself into the points.
Gasly is 11th and followed by Ericsson, Stroll, Ricciardo, Hartley, Wehrlein and Grosjean.
Ricciardo forgets his friendship with Hartley to get into 14th.
Vettel has a 1.755 lead on Bottas who is followed by Raikkonen, Verstappen, Massa, Alonso, Perez, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Hamilton. The champion dove past Gasly to get himself into the points.
Gasly is 11th and followed by Ericsson, Stroll, Ricciardo, Hartley, Wehrlein and Grosjean.
Ricciardo forgets his friendship with Hartley to get into 14th.
Lap 8 of 71
The safety car is in and Vettel gets the race back underway.
Massa gets ahead of Alonso into P5 - is it 2008 again?
Hamilton gets past Grosjean and the champion is now in P13 with Stroll ahead of him. He does so easily despite the Williams having a Mercedes engine.
Ricciardo is making moves as well as he's now in P15.
Massa gets ahead of Alonso into P5 - is it 2008 again?
Hamilton gets past Grosjean and the champion is now in P13 with Stroll ahead of him. He does so easily despite the Williams having a Mercedes engine.
Ricciardo is making moves as well as he's now in P15.
Lap 5 of 71
The safety car is still out and the stewards have noted all the first lap incidents.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Alonso, Massa, Perez, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Gasly.
P11 is Ericsson and followed by Hartley, Stroll, Hamilton, Wehrlein, Grosjean and Ricciardo.
Vandoorne, Magnussen and Ocon are all out of the race.
Vettel leads Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Alonso, Massa, Perez, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Gasly.
P11 is Ericsson and followed by Hartley, Stroll, Hamilton, Wehrlein, Grosjean and Ricciardo.
Vandoorne, Magnussen and Ocon are all out of the race.
LIGHTS OUT
Vettel
starts well and he takes the lead by staying inside on the first corner.
Ricciardo spins off but gets himself back on the track. Was he hit by
Vandoorne?
Ocon and Grosjean crash off and it looks like the Force India is out of the race and we will have a safety car. It looks like the Haas man oversteered.
Ocon and Grosjean crash off and it looks like the Force India is out of the race and we will have a safety car. It looks like the Haas man oversteered.
Five minutes until lights out
We've done the anthems, the driver's are ready.
It's time to get comfortable, start munching those snacks and hopefully enjoy a cracking race at Interlagos.
It's time to get comfortable, start munching those snacks and hopefully enjoy a cracking race at Interlagos.
How they will start the race
Here is how everyone will line up today:
1 Bottas
2 Vettel
3 Raikkonen
4 Verstappen
5 Perez
6 Alonso
7 Hulkenberg
8 Sainz
9 Massa
10 Ocon
11 Grosjean
12 Vandoorne
13 Magnussen
14 Ricciardo
15 Wehrlein
16 Ericsson
17 Stroll
18 Hartley
19 Gasly
20 Hamilton
NOTES:
1 Bottas
2 Vettel
3 Raikkonen
4 Verstappen
5 Perez
6 Alonso
7 Hulkenberg
8 Sainz
9 Massa
10 Ocon
11 Grosjean
12 Vandoorne
13 Magnussen
14 Ricciardo
15 Wehrlein
16 Ericsson
17 Stroll
18 Hartley
19 Gasly
20 Hamilton
NOTES:
- Hamilton failed to set a time and changed gearbox and power units so will start from the pit lane.
- Riccardo and Hartley have grid penalties of ten places after using additional power units, while Gasly has one of 25 places
- Stroll and Ericsson have grid penalties of five places for use of an additional gearbox
Felipe's despedida
Just a reminder that 'despidida' means farewell so I may use it a few times today in reference to Massa's final home race in F1.
Apparently he's already been crying and I think everyone would love to see him have a good result today. Points would be good, but a podium would be fabulous. He has won his home race twice - in 2006 and 2008, and he has won 11 races in total from 267 Grand Prix.
The 36-year-old have raced for Sauber, Ferrari and Williams in a career spanning 15 years.
Some have called him the greatest driver not to win a title after he came second to a young Hamilton in 2008.
Apparently he's already been crying and I think everyone would love to see him have a good result today. Points would be good, but a podium would be fabulous. He has won his home race twice - in 2006 and 2008, and he has won 11 races in total from 267 Grand Prix.
The 36-year-old have raced for Sauber, Ferrari and Williams in a career spanning 15 years.
Some have called him the greatest driver not to win a title after he came second to a young Hamilton in 2008.
25 mins until light out
Some pre-race questions:
- Who will be the first driver to have their tyres overheat?
- Can Hamilton get into the points from the pitlane?
- Will Massa and Alonso finish in the top ten?
- Now the Force Indias can race again, will they crash?
- Will Bottas become the fifth consecutive driver to win from pole?
How they will start the race
1 Bottas
2 Vettel
3 Raikkonen
4 Verstappen
5 Perez
6 Alonso
7 Hulkenberg
8 Sainz
9 Massa
10 Ocon
11 Grosjean
12 Vandoorne
13 Magnussen
14 Ricciardo
15 Wehrlein
16 Ericsson
17 Stroll
18 Hartley
19 Gasly
20 Hamilton
NOTES:
2 Vettel
3 Raikkonen
4 Verstappen
5 Perez
6 Alonso
7 Hulkenberg
8 Sainz
9 Massa
10 Ocon
11 Grosjean
12 Vandoorne
13 Magnussen
14 Ricciardo
15 Wehrlein
16 Ericsson
17 Stroll
18 Hartley
19 Gasly
20 Hamilton
NOTES:
- Hamilton failed to set a time and changed gearbox and power units so will start from the pit lane.
- Riccardo and Hartley have grid penalties of ten places after using additional power units, while Gasly has one of 25 places
- Stroll and Ericsson have grid penalties of five places for use of an additional gearbox
Where they stand
Bottas'
pole position could be crucial today as he can still claim 2nd place in
the championship, with Vettel only 15 points ahead.
The Force India driver's appear to have secured 7th and 8th, but results in the next two race could see them change places.
The Force India driver's appear to have secured 7th and 8th, but results in the next two race could see them change places.
On the
constructors side, the battle is further down the field with Williams'
5th place far from guaranteed with Toro Rosso just 23 points behind
them. While Toro Rosso also have Renault and Haas breathing down their
neck with just one race left after today.
Beautiful Brazil
It is the 45th Grand Prix held in the country, with 35 of those having been held at the legendary Interlagos.
It hasn't been the most successful of tracks for any of our current drivers with Sebastian Vettel the current driver with the most wins (2), while Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton have a solitary victory each.
It hasn't been the most successful of tracks for any of our current drivers with Sebastian Vettel the current driver with the most wins (2), while Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton have a solitary victory each.
An interesting Saturday
As you may have heard, the world champion crashed during his first qualifying lap.
In case you missed the three sessions, you can catch up here.
In case you missed the three sessions, you can catch up here.
Brazilian Grand Prix 2017: What time is it, what TV channel is it on and what chance does Lewis Hamilton stand from back of grid?
What is it?
It's the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, the penultimate race of the season.
When is it?
Race day is today, so Sunday November 12.
What time does it start?
The race will begin at 4pm GMT.
What TV channel is it on?
Sky Sports F1 will have exclusive coverage of the race weekend, while Channel 4 will be broadcasting highlights of the race at 10.30pm on Sunday night. Alternatively, you can join Natasha Henry here for updates with our lap-by-lap blog.
It's the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, the penultimate race of the season.
When is it?
Race day is today, so Sunday November 12.
What time does it start?
The race will begin at 4pm GMT.
What TV channel is it on?
Sky Sports F1 will have exclusive coverage of the race weekend, while Channel 4 will be broadcasting highlights of the race at 10.30pm on Sunday night. Alternatively, you can join Natasha Henry here for updates with our lap-by-lap blog.
What happened last time out?
Lewis Hamilton was crowned Formula One world champion for a fourth time following a dramatic Mexican Grand Prix in which he collided with rival Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap.
Hamilton finished only ninth - the lowest position of his championship-winning season - following an explosive turn-three incident, after which the British driver asked if Vettel had deliberately crashed into him.
The title protagonists both sustained damage in the collision as Hamilton limped back to the pit lane with a right-rear puncture while Vettel stopped for repairs to his Ferrari's broken front wing.
Lewis Hamilton was crowned Formula One world champion for a fourth time following a dramatic Mexican Grand Prix in which he collided with rival Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap.
Hamilton finished only ninth - the lowest position of his championship-winning season - following an explosive turn-three incident, after which the British driver asked if Vettel had deliberately crashed into him.
The title protagonists both sustained damage in the collision as Hamilton limped back to the pit lane with a right-rear puncture while Vettel stopped for repairs to his Ferrari's broken front wing.
And
although a determined Vettel fought back through the field to cross the
line in fourth, he fell well short of the victory required to stop
Hamilton from driving his way into history with two races to spare.
Hamilton, 32, has now surpassed Sir Jackie Stewart by becoming the first British driver to win more than three championships, and joined Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost and Vettel as just the fifth to have won four or more.
What are the standings?
Hamilton, 32, has now surpassed Sir Jackie Stewart by becoming the first British driver to win more than three championships, and joined Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost and Vettel as just the fifth to have won four or more.
What are the standings?
Lewis Hamilton:
"I have just come back from an eight-day holiday with close family and friends, and had the best time ever," Hamilton added. "It was just amazing to be able to share this great experience of winning the world championship with these people who have been a part of my life.
"So, I come here with this greatest feeling, amazing energy, and want to absorb that positive energy and try to shine my light as bright as I can here in Brazil.
"I have had this huge wave of positive energy and nothing can really dent that. I carry that here, and I am solely focused on trying to win the race this weekend."
What happened in qualifying?
Hamilton marked his first competitive appearance since winning a fourth Formula One world title by crashing within the first two minutes of qualifying.
In an uncharacteristic misjudgment, Hamilton appeared to carry too much speed into Turn Six, a sweeping right-hander, as his car lost grip at 160mph and slewed into the barriers. After a campaign distinguished by remorseless consistency, with nine victories and 11 pole positions, the quadruple champion made the rarest of lapses to relegate himself to the back of the grid for today’s race.
Hamilton was unharmed in the crash, which came just hours after a group of Mercedes staff were ambushed in a minibus on their way out of the Autodromo Juan Carlos Pace, at 10pm on Friday night. Items “very valuable” to the team were stolen, they confirmed, while Hamilton claimed that shots were fired and one victim had a gun held to his head.
There was some solace for Mercedes as Valtteri Bottas secured the third pole of his career with a stunning final lap to squeeze out Sebastian Vettel on the front row. “I told them I was going to put it on pole and cheer everybody up,” the Finn said.
Many ESC fans from all over the world are so very sad because we lost Joy Fleming - one of the best singers ever.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel sings 'Try to remember' especially for Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund at Vita Magica September
Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Betty MacDonald
Betty MacDonald forum
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( Polski)
Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Academic ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - cyclopaedia.net ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - DBpedia ( English / German )
Wolfgang Hampel - people check ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )
Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )
Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I
Betty MacDonald fan club groups
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel sings 'Try to remember' especially for Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund at Vita Magica September
you can join
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald Society
Vita Magica
Eurovision Song Contest Fan Club
on Facebook
Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Vita Magica
Betty MacDonald
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald fan club on Facebook
Betty MacDonald forum
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) - The Egg and I
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( Polski)
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Academic ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - cyclopaedia.net ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - DBpedia ( English / German )
Wolfgang Hampel - people check ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )
Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )
Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I
Betty MacDonald fan club groups
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
