US Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton Clinches Sixth Title As Valtteri Bottas Wins Race In Mercedes' One-two Finish

Lewis Hamilton has sealed this season's campaign for his sixth driver's championship title in a thrilling one-two finish with his teammate, Valterri Bottas, who won the race for his first victory in the US Grand Prix. 

Mercedes constructors had won the season's championship in Mexico Grand Prix for sixth consecutive times, and Hamilton despite winning the race, had to wait until today's to claim the title. What he required to lift the trophy was just four points, which means even if he finished in the eighth position, he would yet be crowned as the season's champion. 

Rather than settling for less, the Briton wanted to win and chased down Bottas who at the time was in the provisional pole. He seized the chance from Verstappen pitting and traffic situation encountered by his teammate to overtake and move up in the lead in lap 36/56. 

Bottas did not give up on fighting to win his 7th race of the season and trimmed down on time deficit with Hamilton to 2.3 sec before forcing the Briton to give in to his attack on the straight in lap 52/56 and reclaimed the lead. 

"I can't believe it, thank you so much guys," delighted Hamilton said racing past the finished line behind the Finn driver (1:33:55.653 sec) in +4.148 sec. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished in third position and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took the fourth place. 

Having won the title, the 34-year-old closes in on equalling the record set for the all-time biggest winner by legendary driver Michael Schumacher with seven titles and moved past Argentine iconic driver Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five titles. He is now second in all-time championship biggest winners' list. 

"Valtteri did a great job, didn't think the one-stop would be possible," he said afterward. "I feel so much emotion, to my team here, the people back at the factory, I've got family here, my aunt from Trinidad. My dad told me when I was six or seven never to give up and that's kind of the family motto."