A bold passing maneuver at the end of a long straightway slipped Lewis Hamilton past Sebastian Vettel, and the McLaren driver went on to win the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday in the first Formula One race on American soil since 2007.
The drivers' championship will be settled next week in Sao Paolo, Brazil, after Red Bull's Vettel finished second and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso third.
"Wicked!" said Hamilton, who pumped his fists, waved to the crowd and danced a jig on the nose of his car after his fourth win of the season. "This is one of the best, if not the best Grand Prix, we've had all year."
Vettel started the race in the pole position and led the first 41 laps before Hamilton caught him, sneaking past Vettel just before they reached the tight corner on turn No. 12 at the Circuit of the Americas. Hamilton started in the No. 2 position and pushed Vettel at every opportunity.
"It was a close fight with Lewis. He had one chance and took it. There wasn't much between us," Vettel said.
Vettel, the defending two-time Formula One champion, remains slightly ahead of Ferrari's Alonso in the drivers' championship, meaning the title will come down to the final race of the season.
Hamilton, who won the last U.S. Grand Prix, talked all week about how much he loves the United States and how badly he wanted to win in his return.
With the stars and stripes of the American flag painted on top of his helmet, Hamilton pulled off the daring move of the race with his pass. Vettel had been dominant in practice and qualifying on the new $400 million track that none of the teams had driven before this week, but couldn't hold off the former world champion Sunday.
Vettel survived the chaos of the start as the drivers reached the top of the 133-foot elevation at the signature first turn, then whipped around and down into the second before hitting a series of curves.
Vettel kept clear of the congestion and looked to be off and running to a victory. But Hamilton kept looking for his chance on every pass through the straightaway before he finally found the room he needed.
"I knew that lap was going to be the lap that I was going to try, so I turned the engine up and went for it," Hamilton said.
Alonso had to work hard to keep up and keep the chase for the drivers' championship going.
Alonso was set to start in eighth. He got a boost to seventh when Ferrari broke the gearbox seal of Alonso's teammate, Felipe Massa, incurring a five-spot penalty for Massa that allowed Alonso to move up.
"The reason for this was for strategy considerations, with the objective of maximizing Alonso's start potential given that he's still in with a chance to win the drivers' championship," Ferrari said in a statement. "It was a decision agreed by both drivers."
Alonso used the better position to immediately advance three spots on the first lap. He ran into trouble with a bad pit stop when his crew struggled to replace his rear left wheel, but made up enough ground to finish third.
"Today it was not possible to keep pace (with the leaders)," Alonso said. "They were too far ahead."
Vettel still leads the drivers' championship race by 13 points. The 25-year-old German would be just the third driver to win three consecutive titles, joining Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher.
Alonso, 31, of Spain, won consecutive titles in 2005 and 2006.
"We try to look at Brazil with a possibility to fight for a world championship," Alonso said.
Associated Press
Sun Nov 18 2012
![Pelancong asing ditahan disyaki cabul pekerja spa di Pulau Perhentian Pelancong asing ditahan disyaki cabul pekerja spa di Pulau Perhentian](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-07/51658407048_Cabul.jpg)
Pelancong asing ditahan disyaki cabul pekerja spa di Pulau Perhentian
Polis menahan seorang pelancong lelaki warga Maghribi kerana disyaki mencabul seorang juruterapi wanita rakyat tempatan di Pulau Perhentian.
Warga Thailand seludup diesel dihadapkan mahkamah
Seorang pemandu lori warga Thailand dihadapkan ke mahkamah atas menyeleweng 322 liter minyak diesel minggu lalu.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas: YB Kampar minta buka riben putih
Susulan pengumuman ADUN Rembia sertai Pas dalam sidang media, YB Kampar, Chong Zhemin kemuka Peraturan Mesyuarat dan menyifatkan satu penghinaan besar buat Parlimen.
#SisiTVParlimen
#AWANInews
#SisiTVParlimen
#AWANInews
![Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41720590984_DatukSeriMohamadH.jpg)
Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad
Mohamad Hasan berkata buat masa ini, kerja-kerja penandaan dan pengukuran di lapangan telah meliputi 175.96 km atau 33.3 peratus daripada keseluruhan jarak sempadan.
Kim Pan Gon undur diri kesan kepada Harimau Malaya
Apa reaksi peminat Harimau Malaya dan penganalisis sukan mengenai peletakan jawatan Kim Pan-Gon?
Masuk Pas untuk sama-sama susah dengan rakyat - ADUN Rembia
Muhamad Jailani berkata, sebelum ini beliau pernah menghantar surat kepada Lembaga Disiplin UMNO memohon untuk memecat keahliannya daripada parti Melayu itu.
![Perang berlarutan antara punca kelewatan penghantaran Black Hawk Perang berlarutan antara punca kelewatan penghantaran Black Hawk](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-04/51712121864_TBADLYZAHARIjp.jpg)
Perang berlarutan antara punca kelewatan penghantaran Black Hawk
Perkara itu dimaklumkan pihak Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd iaitu syarikat yang dipertanggungjawabkan dalam kontrak perolehan perkhidmatan sewaan helikopter berkenaan.
Keghairahan final Euro 2024 dibawakan ke restoran mamak
Kemeriahan dan keghairahan perlawanan final UEFA EURO 2024 antara Sepanyol dengan England di Berlin, Jerman dirasai di Malaysia, dibawakan oleh 'Astro BizOne Watch Party' di Restoran Hakim, Seksyen 7, Shah Alam.
![Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721115027_MuhammadAdiLagik.jpg)
Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas
Polis sedang berusaha mengesan seorang remaja lelaki yang dilaporkan hilang oleh keluarganya di Kuala Pilah sejak enam hari lepas.
[TERKINI] Sidang media khas FAM
FAM adakan satu sidang media khas petang nanti, difahamkan berkaitan rombakan. Kepimpinan tertinggi FAM atau barisan kejurulatihan skuad Harimau Malaya?
![F1: Hamilton beri penghargaan kepada penonton di Silverstone F1: Hamilton beri penghargaan kepada penonton di Silverstone](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2021-07/71626498308_TBLewisHamilton.jpg)
F1: Hamilton beri penghargaan kepada penonton di Silverstone
Ketinggalan kepada Verstappen dengan 32 mata dalam saingan Kejohanan Pemandu, Hamilton meraih momentum di Silverstone selepas mengatasi pelumba kelahiran Belanda itu dalam aksi kelayakan.
![F1: Grand Prix Turki dibatalkan F1: Grand Prix Turki dibatalkan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2021-05/61621035807_FormulaOneF.jpg)
F1: Grand Prix Turki dibatalkan
Aksi itu akan digantikan dengan perlumbaan kedua di Austria.
![Hamilton harap kelab kegemarannya kembali menyerlah Hamilton harap kelab kegemarannya kembali menyerlah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-12/51608270038_lewishamilton.jpg)
Hamilton harap kelab kegemarannya kembali menyerlah
Juara dunia tujuh kali F1 Lewis Hamilton berharap kelab bola sepak kegemarannya, Arsenal akan bangkit kembali selepas menerima banyak kritikan daripada peminat dan menjadi bahan ejekan di internet.
![Grand Prix Vietnam dikeluar dari kalendar 2021 Grand Prix Vietnam dikeluar dari kalendar 2021](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-11/51604971385_GrandPrix.jpg)
Grand Prix Vietnam dikeluar dari kalendar 2021
Langkah menarik keluar dari senarai itu dibuat berikutan terdapat kes rasuah melibatkan seorang pegawai tertinggi yang bertanggungjawab bagi perlumbaan di Hanoi itu.
![Keadaan terkini Michael Schumacher, koma atau sudah sedar? Keadaan terkini Michael Schumacher, koma atau sudah sedar?](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-10/81603882785_MichaelSchumacher.jpg)
Keadaan terkini Michael Schumacher, koma atau sudah sedar?
Luca Badoer, bekas rakan sekerja Schumacher di Ferrari mengatakan hanya isterinya yang memilih siapa yang dibenarkan untuk berkunjung.
![Vettel patut pilih untuk bersara - Jackie Stewart Vettel patut pilih untuk bersara - Jackie Stewart](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-10/81602977791_SebastianVettel.jpg)
Vettel patut pilih untuk bersara - Jackie Stewart
Vettel mengakui sebelum menandatangani dengan Aston Martin bahawa bersara adalah pilihan yang sedang dipertimbangkan, dan Stewart berasakan meninggalkan F1 pasti menjadi pilihan yang baik.
![Grand Prix di Brazil, AS mungkin dibatalkan Grand Prix di Brazil, AS mungkin dibatalkan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2020-07/71593820625_TotoWolff.jpg)
Grand Prix di Brazil, AS mungkin dibatalkan
Formula One masih berharap agar dapat melangsungkan antara 15 dan 18 perlumbaan sepanjang tahun ini.
![Button terkejut dengan keputusan Vettel tinggalkan Ferrari Button terkejut dengan keputusan Vettel tinggalkan Ferrari](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2020-05/71589348932_FormulaOne.jpg)
Button terkejut dengan keputusan Vettel tinggalkan Ferrari
Vettel menafikan wang adalah alasan pemergiannya, dengan menyatakan kedua-dua pihak "tidak mempunyai keinginan untuk tetap bersama."
![COVID-19: Perlumbaan F1 Grand Prix Shanghai ditunda COVID-19: Perlumbaan F1 Grand Prix Shanghai ditunda](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2020-02/51581001400_shanghai.jpg)
COVID-19: Perlumbaan F1 Grand Prix Shanghai ditunda
Perlumbaan F1 Grand Prix Shanghai yang dijadualkan berlangsung 19 April depan, telah ditunda susulan wabak COVID-19 yang melanda China.
![Michael Schumacher sedang terima rawatan di Paris Michael Schumacher sedang terima rawatan di Paris](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2019-09/81568126665_MichaelSchumacher.jpg)
Michael Schumacher sedang terima rawatan di Paris
Lagenda Formula One, Michael Schumacher dilaporkan sedang menerima rawatan di sebuah hospital di Paris.