Lewis Hamilton takes chequered flag at US Grand Prix to edge closer to drivers' title

Briton moves 24 points clear of teammate Nico Rosberg with 75 points still to race for

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Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a lot of support among the Austin, Texas crowd in the United States claiming, "It was almost like racing in the UK." Photo: AFP

Published: 9:30am, 3 Nov 2014Updated: 10:33am, 3 Nov 2014

Race by race and point by point, Lewis Hamilton is tightening his grip on the Formula One world championship and squeezing out Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.

But not so far as to eliminate his rival as a title threat. Not yet.

Hamilton won the US Grand Prix on Sunday, moving 24 points clear of Rosberg with just two races left. It was Hamilton’s second win in Texas in three years, his 10th of the season and fifth in a row.

So far, I’ve done what I’ve needed to do. I should continue to do the same

Lewis Hamilton

“This whole season has been incredible,” Hamilton said after playfully taking former world champion Mario Andretti’s black Stetson cowboy hat on the winner’s podium. “I pushed as hard as I could.”

Mercedes had another 1-2 finish in a dominating season that has pushed Hamilton and Rosberg well clear of the pack in the title chase. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was third for his eighth podium finish of 2014.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton won the US Grand Prix in similar fashion when he won his previous World Championship in 2008. Photo: AP

Rosberg could still find a way to steal the title from Hamilton. Formula One moves to Brazil next weekend and the final race in Abu Dhabi will be worth double points in a rule change this season.