Hamilton wins US Grand Prix and F1 season championship

Hamilton, who won the race after a late mistake by teammate Nico Rosberg, said he always thought winning was possible. This prompted the safety auto to be deployed to the track and the British driver stopped for fresh tires.

And, by the way, Hamilton did give an answer to the reporter’s question about how it “feels” to win a world championship at Sunday’s press conference.

The FIA Formula 1 World Championship’s United States Grand Prix had concluded 30 minutes prior.

“It’s very humbling experience, especially to equal Ayrton Senna, who meant so much to me and still does today, I feel very, very blessed”. It can bite you, but risks need to be taken because it can make or break you in these conditions.

It was the 30-year-old Briton’s 10th success of 2015, but this was arguably his most chaotic success of the season in a race that had two safety auto periods. It is the greatest feeling I have ever had in my life.

Rosberg has been racing strongly all year, with a third consecutive pole position today after qualifying on top at Suzuka in Japan and most recently at Sochi.

“It’s been a really good qualifying”, Rosberg said.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel took third place after fighting his way back from 13th.

“You, first, Lewis”, Vettel said. “The nights after you win the championship are pretty special too”. Michael Schumacher leads the pantheon of champions with seven title wins.

His switch to Mercedes in 2013 put him in Formula One’s dominant auto after the engine change from the screaming V8s to a V6 turbo hybrid. He is now on a four-race streak without starting from the front row on the grid, however.

Hamilton posted the fastest time in Saturday’s final practice session as another day of harsh weather pounded the track with torrential rain.

Sunday will be just the fourth time since 2004 and first since 2013 that Formula One has used race-day qualifying.

“It’s hard really to find the words”.

On Lap 48, Rosberg’s vehicle went off the track. By the time the cars were hurtling back down the hill, Hamilton had seized the lead. “Now I want to carry on as far and long as I can”, Mercedes quoted Hamilton saying on their official twitter account. “We hit each other, or I would say Lewis came into me, so obviously that’s not good, but I can not say more than that”.

By lap 47’s restart, the field had dwindled down to 12 cars and things were close as the pack was led by the safety vehicle following cleanup duty because of Daniil Kvyat’s crash.

But the race and the season again boiled down to Mercedes duel over the final 10 laps.

And then Rosberg opened the door to the world champion.

By Lap 45, Rosberg was back in the lead.

Hamilton’s team-mate Rosberg congratulated the Briton as they prepared for the podium interviews, but then appeared furious when Hamilton tossed a “second place” cap towards the German, who then launched it back toward the champion.