Lewis Hamilton secured his fourth Formula One World Championship in Mexico City on 29 October 2017, becoming the most successful British driver in the sport's history. A punishing race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez left him ninth, yet the finish moved him past the great Jackie Stewart and into a select group of four-time champions.
A championship fight undone at turn three
Pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel came under immediate pressure from Max Verstappen at turn one, ran wide, and was passed by Hamilton. Exiting turn three, Vettel’s front wing clipped the right-rear tyre of Hamilton’s Mercedes. The contact caused an instant puncture for Hamilton and front-wing damage for Vettel.
Both title contenders limped to the pits on the opening lap and rejoined at the back of the field. Hamilton had already crashed in Saturday qualifying and started last on the grid, so the collision compounded an already desperate afternoon.
Survival through the chaos
Hamilton struggled with a damaged car and was lapped by race leader Verstappen on lap 22. A Virtual Safety Car, triggered by Brendon Hartley’s engine failure on lap 32, allowed him to switch to fresh tyres. He could make only limited progress and eventually crossed the line ninth.
Vettel fought back relentlessly through the pack to finish fourth behind teammate Kimi Räikkönen. That result was not enough to keep the title fight alive. Hamilton was confirmed as champion with a 56-point lead and two races remaining.
“It was a horrible way to do it,” Hamilton said afterwards. “Four is a great number but I want number five.” Mercedes team director Niki Lauda laid the blame for the collision squarely on Vettel.
Britain’s new benchmark
The title elevated Hamilton into an elite group. He became only the fifth driver in Formula One history to reach four championships, joining Vettel, Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher. It was the first time a world champion had been crowned without a podium finish in the deciding race since 2012.
A messy afternoon did not dim the significance of the mark Hamilton had long chased. The number four now belonged to him alone among British drivers.
