AUSTIN • Lewis Hamilton's hopes of a record eighth Formula One championship took a hit at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday and the Mercedes driver is bracing himself for more tough days ahead.
An eighth victory of the season for Red Bull's Max Verstappen sent the Dutch driver 12 points clear of his British rival (275.5) with five races remaining and the momentum is shifting towards the former, who is seeking his first title.
Hamilton, 36, had won five of the previous eight races at Austin's Circuit of the Americas but was unable to get the better of the 24-year-old in front of a sell-out 140,000 crowd, a welcome sight after last year's edition was axed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sunday's win was Verstappen's first in North America and the next two rounds, at altitude in Mexico City, where he won from 2017-18, and the Brazilian Grand Prix at Sao Paulo's Interlagos, where he triumphed in 2019, favour Red Bull.
"I don't know what we could have done differently," Hamilton said after seizing the lead at the start on Sunday before losing out to his rival's pit-stop strategy.
Verstappen made his second stop on lap 29, while Hamilton stayed out until lap 37 before pitting again.
The Dutchman managed his tyre life just enough to keep his closest challenger out of range and take a brilliantly composed win.
"I think the team did a great job today and it was what we had. We're going to at least the next two tracks which are very strong circuits for Red Bull. So it's going to be tough for sure," Hamilton said.
Asked how concerned he was with the points gap, Hamilton, who took a bonus point for fastest lap to limit the damage, said he just had to be happy with the job he did on Sunday and live in the moment.
"Unfortunately, we weren't quick enough to win the race today but just look forward and take it one race at a time," he added. "There are two circuits that are strong for Red Bull so we'll just try and minimise how strong they can be and see if we can do a better job."
Despite Hamilton's frustration, it was not as easy as claimed.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was a relieved man at the chequered flag, as Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, finished a distant third after struggling with dehydration because of a water-bottle failure.
"I think I've aged about 25 years in that race," said Horner. "I really didn't think we were going to hang on."
Verstappen added: "The tyre wear is quite high around this track, we went aggressive and I was not sure it was going to work but the last few laps were fun. A bit sideways through the high-speed corners but super happy to hang on (to win)."
The final three races of the season are in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
In the constructors' standings, Mercedes still lead with 460.5 points, but Red Bull have closed the gap to 23 points.
REUTERS, XINHUA
