Hamilton bolts to threshold of fourth title after US win

No one knows the value of a single point like Lewis Hamilton.

In 2007, while driving for McLaren-Mercedes, he lost the Formula One championship by one point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

One year later, he beat Ferrari’s Felippe Massa by one point to take the title.

Nine years later, Hamilton now finds himself 66 points ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the race to the title, with only three races remaining.

A fourth championship would put him level with Vettel and Alain Prost.

Last Sunday’s race in Austin, Texas was expected to see Vettel throw everything at Hamilton in a bid to narrow the gap and he did not disappoint.

RUBBING THEIR EGOS

The German was on the front row and got the better start.

Try as he might to squeeze him to submission, pole sitter Hamilton was unable to defend going into turn one.

Behind them, Valterri Bottas in the other Mercedes and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo were rubbing their egos against each other as the Australian attempted to snatch third place.

Ricciardo had a go at Bottas on the fourth lap, performing his trademark dive into the turn from ‘miles’ out.

Only the Finn’s astonishing presence of mind to evade the Red Bull prevented an accident for which Ricciardo would most likely have been penalised.

Vettel stayed ahead of Hamilton but not for long as the Mercedes, with superior pace, got the better of the Ferrari on the sixth lap.

Hamilton then started pulling away.

Ricciardo, unable to overtake Bottas, found himself being hunted by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen on the 12th lap.

Then he went for a pit stop.

Four laps later, the Australian’s engine gave way and quick thinking made him position the car at a spot which would not interfere with the race.

Ferrari brought Vettel in that very lap, having deemed Bottas a potent threat.

The Finn had been closing the gap to Vettel by more than half a second per lap in some instances.

Hamilton had more than four seconds as a cushion in front of Vettel before the German pitted. The race leader stayed out for another three laps then went in for a new set of tyres.

On exiting the pits, Vettel was right behind him.

Such was the charge by Vettel that he skidded after navigating turn one while attempting to position the car to overtake the Brit.

That close shave, however, only seemed to motivate Hamilton to extend the gap between him and the Ferrari.

From 16th position at the start, Verstappen, who had not pitted, found himself leading the race on the 21st lap.

His lead did not last for long however as Hamilton was able to regain the lead two laps later, much to the relief of the Mercedes pit crew. Verstappen’s lengthy first stint came to an end on the 24th lap when he went in for fresh tyres.

Vettel made a second pit stop to take the gap between him and Hamilton to more than 20 seconds.

With Bottas staying out and clearly on a different race strategy from the leader, Vettel and Verstappen eventually caught up with him.

It was crucial for Bottas to hold the pair for as long as he could since the window within which Hamilton would have successfully pitted without losing position to Vettel had lapsed. Raikkonen overtook Bottas on the 42nd lap.

HARSH JUDGEMENT

Nine laps later, and five from the finish, Vettel also overtook the Finn as they were navigating around the back markers. Raikkonen was told that Vettel was right behind him and he duly moved aside to let his team-mate pass.

Verstappen also managed to pass Bottas.

On the final lap, the 20-year-old managed to overtake Raikkonen in a daring move, but was penalised by the stewards for having left the track, a harsh judgment given what had transpired earlier in the race with other drivers.

Hamilton finished 10 seconds clear of Vettel and now needs a similar number of points from any of the three remaining races to secure a fourth world title.