Lewis Hamilton scored his second Formula One race victory at today’s United States Grand Prix. Just like last week’s win in Canada, he started from the pole on a track that was new to him, but this result was not so easy for him. His McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso tried to challenge his lead several times but came up short each time.
The battle for third place was just as fiercely contended between Ferrari teammates Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.
Rumours surrounding Heikki Kovalainen’s place on the Renault team have suggested that he could be replaced by test-driver Nelson Piquet Jr. before the French GP but a strong weekend’s performance and a points finish for the second race in a row may have earned him a reprieve.
Nineteen year old Sebastian Vettel–substituting for Robert Kubica who received a concussion in a high-speed accident last week in Canada–scored a point for his eighth place finish and became the youngest driver, and only teenager, to ever score a World Championship point.
Hamilton now has a 10 point lead in the World Championship and a couple of weeks to relax as the circus packs up its tent and heads back to Europe.
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton (GBR) | McLaren Mercedes | 10 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso (ESP) | McLaren Mercedes | 8 |
| 3 | Felipe Massa (BRA) | Ferrari | 6 |
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) | Ferrari | 5 |
| 5 | Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) | Renault | 4 |
| 6 | Jarno Trulli (ITA) | Toyota | 3 |
| 7 | Mark Webber (AUS) | Red Bull-Renault | 2 |
| 8 | Sebastian Vettel (GER) | BMW | 1 |
| Fastest Qualifier: Lewis Hamilton (GBR) | |||