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F1 Mexican GP: Hamilton inches closer to Rosberg, explains T1 error

Lewis Hamilton has expressed his delight at drawing level with Alain Prost on 51 Formula 1 race wins following a dominant success in the Mexican Grand Prix.

Coming into the race seeking a second consecutive win from pole position, Hamilton got the start he needed to be ahead on the long run down to turn one, only to out-brake himself and take to the grass.

Heading across the grass and rejoining at turn three, Hamilton retained position as the safety car came out for a lap one incident to neutralise any lead he may have established.

Once the safety car peeled in, Hamilton was untroubled thereafter, managing his lead back to Nico Rosberg a second straight lights-to-flag win.

Denting Rosberg's championship lead further to reduce it to 19 points, the success also brings him up to 51 wins, putting him on a par with Prost.

"It's just incredible, fantastic, over half of the victories I've had have been with this team. It's just a true showing that we have an incredible group of people, how well we work together and for the third year in a row we've proved that we are the best team so I'm very proud to be a part of it.

"That was the plan coming to this team, hopefully being a part of that growth and that success. I couldn't have dreamt it to be even better than it is."

Explaining how a grazed brake on the warm-up led to his turn one error, he dismissed the notion that he deserved a penalty as he didn't gain an advantage from doing so.

"On the formation lap I had a glazed front right brake, I couldn't hook it up so I had 500 degrees on the left front and 150-200 on the right front. Coming into Turn 1 and the right front just woke up and locked, I was carrying so much speed. I was just lucky I didn't go in the wall or something.

"After that I had the biggest vibration, I didn't think I was going to make it through the first stint, I honestly thought I was going to have stopped, the vibration was so big. I could barely see it to be honest but it was really nice when we got some new fresh tyres, much smoother."

"It wasn't an advantage but I think I was still in the lead going in, and I was in the lead going out so I don't believe so."

Prost himself, meanwhile, took to Twitter to level his congratulations at Hamilton's achievement.

Zdroj: crash.net