After Sebastian Vettel’s elimination at the beginning of the race due to a technical problem with the Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton’s race could have resembled a stroll on the Suzuka circuit.<\/p>\n
But that was without counting on Max Verstappen and his Red Bull. In great form since his victory at Sepang last week, the Dutchman threatened Hamilton right up to the final laps: \u00ab With the virtual safety car towards the end, I lost a lot of temperature in the tires and keeping them in shape wasn’t that easy. I found myself stuck behind traffic, losing so much time that Max’s [Verstappen] car took up a lot of space in my mirrors. We were very close for a few laps, but I managed to keep him behind. It wasn’t an easy ride today, it was a victory I had to work very hard for. It was a great race from Max, I enjoyed fighting against him, \u00bb explained the championship leader.<\/p>\n
Despite his 59-point lead in the championship and the possibility of winning the title at the next race in Austin, Hamilton does not want to think he has definitively distanced himself from Vettel: \u00ab It is almost incredible to think that we are where we are in the championship. I was thrilled to race against Sebastian today, but he was obviously very unlucky. There is still a long way to go, there are still a hundred points up for grabs. I’m just going to relax and hope that I continue to be in this kind of form. \u00bb concluded a confident Hamilton.<\/p>\n
\nWhat a weekend! Huge thanks to the fans out here and my hard working team who have been so meticulous! \ud83d\ude4c\ud83c\udffe @MercedesAMGF1<\/a> #F1<\/a> \ud83d\udcf7 @suttonimages<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Pqi9xaEo5s<\/a><\/p>\n