Sao Paulo: Lewis Hamilton scored his 10th victory of the season in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix to clinch Mercedes its fifth consecutive constructors’ championship in style after Max Verstappen was spun out of the lead by a lapped car.
Pole-sitter Hamilton led through the first stint before being passed by a rapid Verstappen early into the Red Bull driver’s second stint, putting the Dutchman in control of proceedings.
However, Force India driver Esteban Ocon’s attempt to unlap himself resulted in contact with Verstappen, spinning the Red Bull driver out of the lead with 27 laps to go.
Verstappen was never able to recover the position, leaving Hamilton and Mercedes to seal the teams’ title in fashion, pulling out an unassailable lead over Ferrari, which struggled to third and sixth at Interlagos.
Verstappen catapulted himself into contention for victory with a rapid opening stint.
Verstappen looked in control of the race as he opened up a gap to Hamilton, but his advantage would prove short-lived.
In an attempt to unlap himself, Force India’s Esteban Ocon tried passing Verstappen down the inside at Turn 2, only to cause contact and send both cars into a spin.
Hamilton passed with ease as a fuming Verstappen rejoined in second place, five seconds down the road and with floor damage, while Ocon would later be slapped with a 10-second stop/go penalty for causing a collision. (Agencies)
