Hamilton: 'I can't even realize'

Lewis Hamilton only started from 5th place on the grid for the US GP in Austin (Texas), but the Briton unsurprisingly found himself in contention for victory. The pilot Mercedes was nevertheless beaten by his teammate Valtteri Bottas after attempting a one-stop race, which in no way deprived him of a 6th world title.

“I am delighted after such a difficult race. Valtteri did a very good job this weekend and I would like to congratulate him, he deserved his victory today. He's probably the best teammate I've had in F1. He helps me move forward and we push each other up”, confided the champion.

“My goal was to move up the positions and secure a double for the team. I thought a stop was possible and I gave everything to try to win but I no longer had the tires to achieve it”, he said.

Lewis Hamilton enters a little further into the history of F1 and now seems able to become the new absolute reference by being only one title away from the seven coronations of Michael Schumacher.

“I am thinking of all the loved ones and the staff at the factory. My father has always been by my side even in difficult times. I also think of Niki (Lauda). I was always told to never give up and that’s what still pushes me to surpass myself today”, said the Mercedes driver.

“I don't know what the future holds for the championship, but I feel good and ready to attack from the next race. I already want to savor this title before thinking about the rest. I can't even realize that I'm a six-time world champion. It's hard to compare myself to Michael Schumacher when I watched him on TV. Things have changed since then », concluded the Briton.

Lewis Hamilton is only 8 victories away from Michael Schumacher's 91 successes. He will be able to get closer to the record with the last two Grands Prix to be contested this year.

Discover the analysis of the US GP carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2441 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.