Lewis Hamilton gatecrashed Sebastian Vettel’s title party last night when he produced a dazzling drive for McLaren to win a thrilling United States Grand Prix.
The 27-year-old Briton, who started second on the grid alongside the defending champion, made the most of his superior outright speed to pass Vettel on lap 42 and claim the 21st victory of his career.
For Vettel, it was a personal disappointment, but not enough to prevent his Red Bull team from winning the constructors title for the third successive season.
Fernando Alonso, of Ferrari, finished third after starting seventh on the grid and his podium finish ensured that the title battle will go down to the wire at next weekend’s Brazilian GP in Sao Paulo. Vettel goes to Interlagos with a lead of 13 points, on 273 points compared to Alonso on 260.
Hamilton, who leaves McLaren for Mercedes next year, was intent on delivering another win for the team before his departure and did so with elan as he seized his fourth win this year.
Amazingly, it was the first time F1’s best three drivers of the current crop had shared a podium and, to mark the Texan location, all three wore Stetson cowboy hats as they celebrated.
Interviewed by the 1978 world champion, American Mario Andretti, Hamilton said: “First-time winner! I’m so happy. The fans were amazing, thank you.
“It was such a warm welcome and one of the best, if not the best, race of the year – especially for me and the team.
“It’s been a long time since we had a win. I’m so proud of the team and grateful for the support we’ve had.”
Vettel said: “He had one chance and he took it. It was a tough race, but it was a great race.”
In front of a sell-out crowd of 135,000 at the new Circuit of the Americas and under a solid blue sky, Vettel made a near-perfect start to pull clear from his 36th pole position and into the lead with Red Bull team-mate Webber advancing to second behind him.
Hamilton, starting second, struggled with lack of grip on the slippery side of the track and could not defend against Webber, but stayed third up the hill and into the sweeping left-hander turn one as the field hustled together in the pack.
Alonso, starting seventh thanks to Ferrari’s strategic decision to break the seal on Massa’s gearbox and take a five-place penalty for the Brazilian, had a clean start and went round the outside of turn one and into fourth, taking full advantage of a poor start by Raikkonen.
It was a thrilling vision as the cars stretched out and began to heat their tyres to optimum levels, but the focus was clearly at the front of the field where Vettel was unable to shake off his pursuers.
Webber, racing in third, had the task of defending Vettel’s position, but his part in the race ended after 17 laps when he was forced to retire due to a gearbox failure.
By lap 34, after a series of pit stops for tyre changes, Hamilton had closed to within two car lengths of Vettel. This created a sequence of dramatic laps during which Hamilton tantalised Vettel and the crowd by setting up a passing move, using his power advantage and Drag Reduction System (DRS) on the back straight, but without executing it until lap 42.
After being held up by a back marker, Vettel could not resist him and Hamilton dummied one way and then passed him on the outside.
Alonso, driving steadily and quickly, knew his podium position was enough to keep his title dream alive and, thanks to a superb drive from team-mate Massa, knew also that he had a Ferrari in fourth behind him to protect him in the closing laps.
US GP result
1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) - 1:35.55.269
2. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) at 0.675secs
3. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) - 39.229
4. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) - 46.013
5. Jenson Button (McLaren) - 56.432
6. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) - 1:04.425
7. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) - 1:10.313
8. Nico Huelkenberg (Force India) - 1:13.792
9. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) - 1:14.525
10. Bruno Senna (Williams) - 1:15.133
11. Sergio Perez (Sauber) - 1:24.341
12. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) - 1:24.871
13. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - 1:25.510
14. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) - 1 lap
15. Paul di Resta (Force India) - 1 lap
16. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) - 1 lap
17. Vitaly Petrov (Caterham) - 1 lap
18. Timo Glock (Marussia) - 1 lap
19. Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) - 1 lap
20. Charles Pic (Marussia) - 2 laps
21. Pedro de la Rosa (HRT) - 2 laps
22. Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) - 2 laps
Did not finish
Mark Webber (Red Bull) - 40 laps
Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) - 42 laps
Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:39.347, lap 56
Next race: Brazil GP, November 25
Overall standings
Drivers
1. Vettel 273; 2. Alonso 260; 3. Raikkonen 206; 4. Hamilton 190; 5. Webber 167; 6. Button 163; 7. Massa 107; 8. Grosjean 96; 9. Rosberg 93; 10. Perez 66; 11. Kobayashi 58; 12. Huelkenberg 53; 13. Di Resta 46; 14. Maldonado 45; 15. Schumacher 43; 16. Senna 31; 17. Vergne 12; 18. Ricciardo 10.
Constructors
1. Red Bull 440; 2. Ferrari 367; 3. McLaren 353; 4. Lotus 302; 5. Mercedes 136; 6. Sauber 124; 7. Force India 99; 8. Williams 76; 9. Toro Rosso 22.