Mexican GP 2016: Lewis Hamilton keeps title dreams alive with win

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped the final practice Saturday at the Mexican Grand Prix ahead of qualifying, jumping ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

Sergio Perez, who has already finished on the podium twice this season (Monaco and Azerbaijan) could do no better than 12th fastest and was more than half-a-second slower than Force India teammate Hulkenberg in the second session.

The pole sitter – who claimed his 51st career win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to tie Alain Prost in second place on the all-time wins list – locked up into Turn 1 and failed to re-join the track until Turn 3, which allowed him to maintain his lead.

Verstappen led the final practice at the U.S. Grand Prix before qualifying fourth as Hamilton took the pole position there.

Nico Rosberg holds a 19-point championship lead over Mr. Hamilton, he can clinch the title if he wins the penultimate round at Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit in Brazil in 2 weeks’ time.

Hamilton’s season has been marked by mechanical problems and engine failure and he said last weekend in Texas, a race he also won, that he had spent the whole afternoon listening out for signs of trouble.

He can afford to finish second twice and third once even if Hamilton wins all the remaining races and still win the title.

Hamilton arrived here in Mexico City in confident mood having aced the previous weekend in Austin where he had cruised to victory, albeit with a few concerns about his car’s reliability. “I’m looking forward to the race and the vehicle feels great”.

“We know Max’s moves have been a bit questionable and I guess that was the same case today”, Ricciardo said.

Come the conclusion of the race, Verstappen was handed a five-second time penalty and removed from the cool down room ahead of the podium and quickly replaced by Vettel. “I have had a good feeling with the auto all weekend”, said Verstappen. In the race Nico wasn’t able to do the pace I was able to do.

Hamilton has been in top form in chasing him of late.

Ricciardo also said Hamilton deserved a penalty for cutting a corner in similar fashion to Verstappen on an earlier corner and the teenager agreed.

Indeed Rosberg will now secure his maiden title if he wins the Brazilian Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time.

Rosberg was 0.254secs behind Hamilton and just 0.096secs quicker than Verstappen with his crucial last lap.

Sebastian Vettel, who was fastest yesterday, was only sixth this morning with his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen seventh. I just didn’t put three sectors together in either of them. With the Dutchman deciding not to cede position of his own volition, despite the suggestion he do so from his race engineer, an increasingly irate Vettel started ranting on the radio that the Red Bull driver should give the place back.