LEWIS HAMILTON won his fifth career F1 championship with a fourth-place finish Sunday at the Mexican Grand Prix. It was a race dominated by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, but one that will be remembered for Hamilton tying the late Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina for the second-most championships in F1 history. At age 33, the British driver can now make a run at something once previously unthinkable: The seven titles won by Germany’s Michael Schumacher. “Michael’s still the greatest,” Hamilton said. “Fangio is the godfather and always will be. I feel honored to have my name alongside his. If I stop today, I’ll always have my name up there.” He’s not stopping. Hamilton has won four of his five titles with Mercedes and this year extended his contract through 2020. His 2008 championship was with McLaren. “I feel like I still drive with that fire that I had when I was 8 years old,” Hamilton said. “I’m here for a few more years. I’ll always be a fan of Schumacher.” Hamilton had to fight off a strong challenge from Ferrari, which even Hamilton admitted often had the stronger car. (SD-Agencies) |