No one was happier to see Formula One back in America on Sunday than McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton as the Briton picked up where he left off in 2007 by winning the United States Grand Prix.
Hamilton gave the sun-bathed crowd of close to 120,000 at the new Circuit of the Americas a race to remember as he overhauled Red Bull’s championship leader Sebastian Vettel to win the first US Grand Prix in five years.
The Englishman also won the last Grand Prix held in America, when it was staged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of motor sports oldest tracks.
Hamilton, who will leave McLaren at the end of the season to join Mercedes, could not hide his delight, grinning ear-to-ear under a massive cowboy hat as he sprayed champagne from the top of the winner’s podium.
“It was wicked. I loved it so much. I am so happy,” gushed Hamilton after collecting his fourth win of the season and 18th of his career. “I nearly lost my voice when I came across the line.
“Actually for that whole in-lap I was just screaming all the time, so happy. Not cool at all.
“It’s the first grand prix here, I won the last one in 2007 so to come back after such a long time and win in front of such a great crowd this weekend was very special.”
