F1: Hamilton wins World Championship, U.S. Grand Prix in Austin
Lewis Hamilton earned his third United States Grand Prix win and his third World Championship at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday.
This is the second-consecutive world championship for Hamilton.
Nico Rosberg started from the pole, but a hard battle with teammate Hamilton going into the first corner dropped him to fourth. Rosberg would go on to finish the race in second.
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel finished third after quickly making his way up through the field when he was forced to start 13th as a result of a 10-place grid penalty.
Vettel's Ferrari teammate, Kimi Raikkonen was not so fortunate, crashing into the barriers in Sector Two, but was able to drive away and head to pit road for a new front wing. Raikkonen would go on to retire on Lap 27.
Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valterri Bottas were both forced to retire after getting caught up in an accident in the first turn of the opening lap. McLaren's Fernando Alonso also spun in the first lap accident, finishing 11th.
The first safety car came out on Lap 27, after Marcus Ericsson's car came to a halt, erasing Rosberg's 10-second lead at the time.
Max Verstappen, the 18-year-old, started the race in eighth and methodically made his way up the field to finish fourth.
Nico Hulkenberg made contact with Infiniti Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo on Lap 36 trying to make a pass for fifth. A virtual safety car would be needed on Lap 37 after Hulkenburg's car came to a stop on the race course.
Rosberg elected to pit during that particular virtual safety car period, relinquishing the lead and falling to fourth, then Hamilton pitted under a Safety Car a few laps later when Danii Kvyat hit the barriers on Lap 43, damaging the front end and ending his day early after running in the top five the majority of the day.
Rosberg restarted ahead of Hamilton for a 10-lap shootout but made a mistake, allowing Hamilton to run away with the win and the championship.
Formula 1 moves on to the Mexican Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on Nov. 1st.
Click here for full USGP results.
