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LEWIS HAMILTON put his rivalry with Max Verstappen aside as they assessed the United States Grand Prix together – and the Brit admitted the Red Bull car is simply too good.Hamilton, 37, desperately tried to hold off the 25-year-old in the closing stages in Austin after a bodged pit stop for the Dutchman.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen exchanged pleasantries after the United Stated GPCredit: Splash
But the newly-crowned world champion, helped by fresh medium tyres, closed the gap on the Brit.
And he eventually overtook him with six laps to go, denying the Stevenage star his first race win of the season.
Despite the disappointment, Hamilton remained polite and engaging in the cool down room behind the scenes before stepping out on the podium with Verstappen and third-placed Charles Leclerc.
Speaking to Leclerc about Verstappen, Hamilton said: “It’s so hard to stay ahead of him.”
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Leclerc replied by asking about tyre degradation: “Were you losing the front or the rear?”
Hamilton confirmed it was his rear tyres.
Leclerc then asked about his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, who started on pole but spun out on the first corner of lap one.
The Monegasque ace said: “What happened to Carlos?”
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Hamilton confirmed: “Erm, George [Russell] took him out.”
Verstappen then entered the waiting room after celebrating sealing the 2022 constructors’ championship for Red Bull with his team.
And Hamilton was left dumbfounded at how good their car is this year – with the Mercedes model too far off the pace to secure even one chequered flag yet.
Hamilton, who has three races to avoid his first-ever winless season in F1, told the man who famously pipped him to the 2021 title: “You came from so far back!
“We can’t compete with you on the straights.”
The Sky Sports cameras and microphones in the room did not pick up Verstappen’s reply.
Leclerc then complained about one specific section of the track and said: “Turn 11 was so bad, the grip,” with which his fellow drivers seemed to agree.
Verstappen moved on to 391 points on Sunday as he landed a record-equalling 13th win of the season.
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Leclerc is second on 267 with Hamilton back in sixth on 198 with just the Grand Prix in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi to come.
The Merc man put his weekend disappointment behind him quickly, though, as he celebrated his dog Roscoe’s birthday.
Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were overheard holding a private conversation before Verstappen joinedCredit: Twitter
The trio then headed out on to the podium for the trophy presentationCredit: AFP More

LEWIS HAMILTON has apologised for not winning the US Grand Prix after he was overtaken by Max Verstappen. A nailbiting finale saw the Dutch champion pass his old title rival with six laps to go.
It’s been a frustrating season for Mercedes driver Lewis HamiltonCredit: Rex
Hamilton had looked set for his first win of the season after keeping pace with Verstappen and then pouncing into the lead after the Red Bull driver had a slow pitstop.
But the seven-times world champion fell just short and struggled to hide his disappointment in his post-race interview.
He told Sky Sports: “Sorry I couldn’t get the win, I gave it absolutely everything.
“I mean I don’t know, I can’t put in words how much it would mean to the team.
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“Especially with everything that’s going on, everything that’s happened in the last race last year.
“Then what’s what’s happened this year in terms of our performance, and then what’s happened with all the news and everything, so I mean to get a win would be a huge triumph for us all and hugely rewarding.”
Hamilton has three races left to try and nab his first win and keep up his extraordinary record of being victorious in each F1 season he has competed in.
The Brit has won at least one race on the calendar since his debut in 2007 and will look to claim victory in Mexico, Brazil or Abu Dhabi.
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But he is not optimistic about his chances.
It’s been a frustrating season for the driver with Mercedes failing to adapt to the drastic rule changes in the sport.
But after the issues in the opening races, the German manufacturer has looked far more competitive with Hamilton and George Russell raking in podiums.
But race wins have proven to be just beyond the capabilities of the car with Verstappen taking 13 victories.
It equals the record held by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull and Michael Schumacher for Ferrari for most wins in a season. More

LEWIS HAMILTON has praised his Mercedes team after they came incredibly close to a sensational win at the US Grand Prix.The seven-times World Champion lost the lead to Max Verstappen with only six laps to go in a thrilling, unpredictable race.
Yesterday’s race was the closest Lewis Hamilton has come to victory all seasonCredit: Getty
The Brit remained positive as he tries to push his Mercedes team over the line with three races left to goCredit: Instagram
Hamilton is still looking for his first win of the season after Verstappen managed to recover from a dodgy pit stop to get one over his old title rival.
But the Mercedes driver remained in good spirits after the competitive showing from his team.
He wrote on Instagram: “P2! Some tough racing out there, it wasn’t easy but we are taking away a good result.
“Thank you to the team for all the hard work this weekend strategy, pit stops, all of it was on point.
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“This outcome is a huge boost for us all, and we are ultimately leaving with some valuable learnings for next year.”
Hamilton remained in contention for the entire race and two mid-race safety cars helped him keep close to his Dutch rival.
An early second pit stop helped him get past Verstappen, with the Red Bull driver having to endure a poor 11-second stop of his own.
Hamilton then went into the lead after passing Sebastian Vettel who had an incredible race in his Aston Martin.
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And the Brit had praise for Vettel, who is retiring from F1 at the end of the season after 15 years.
Hamilton added in his Instagram post: “Always fun to battle @sebastianvettel – let’s keep this momentum going for Mexico, see you all next week.”
Ultimately it would be Verstappen who would prevail for the second year in a row at Austin.
It was a race full of drama with Hamilton’s teammate George Russell clipping polesitter Carlos Sainz on the opening lap and ending the Ferrari driver’s race.
While further back Fernando Alonso was catapulted upwards after a dramatic collision with Lance Stroll.
The pair will be teammates next year after Alonso agreed to replace Vettel.
With three races left in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Hamilton will need to win at least one to avoid his first ever winless F1 season. More

LEWIS HAMILTON looks set for his first winless season in F1 after being pipped to the chequered flag by Max Verstappen in Texas.Verstappen – who equals F1’s record for the most wins in a season with 13 – also helped his Red Bull team wrap up an emotional constructors’ championship at the US GP.
Hamilton had to settle for second spot on the podium after being pipped by VerstappenCredit: Rex
Hamilton pushed him to the wire and crossed the line five second behind the Dutchman meaning his barren run, which stretches back to last November, goes on.
The seven-time world champion also came close to winning in Holland, while he was second in France and Hungary, but feels a win is beyond him given Red Bull’s pace.
He said: “It feels amazing to be within shooting distance of Max for some points of the race.
“It felt for a second that I might be able to hold on to it, but the medium tyre was too strong.”
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When asked if he could win this season, he added: “We need to be realistic. The Red Bull car has been the fastest car all year and it is still the fastest car.
“We were in the position we were in due to reliability. If Charles Leclerc or Sergio Perez were there, they would have been ahead of us.
“It was great starting third and being in a position to fight, but in true pace they were ahead of us and will be in the next three races.
“Unless something drastic happens to any more of them, It is highly unlikely we will have the true pace to compete with them.
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“Max had an 11 second stop and [came out behind] Charles, so get past him and then pass me and get ahead, shows some real speed.”
Hamilton and Verstappen played out a thrilling final six laps, as both struggled to remain inside the while lines as they battled for position.
But it was Verstappen who crossed the line first, helping Red Bull to an emotional victory following the death of the energy drink’s co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
There were no black armbands. Instead, Red Bull’s staff wore blue jeans, as was the billionaire’s preference.
There was a one-minute applause as teams paid their respects before the race and a message “Danke Didi” was displayed on the screen.
Verstappen added: “It’s a very difficult weekend for us and this one is definitely dedicated to Dietrich himself for what he has done for everyone.
“We had a big chance to win the constructors here and of course you want to do that in style and I think we did that.
A thrilling race saw Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll collide in a high-speed crashCredit: Sky Sports F1
“It definitely means a lot to me, to the team, because he was so instrumental to the whole team, it will all continue but we of course wanted to have a good result today.”
A record crowd of 440,000 over the weekend reaffirmed F1’s popularity boom in the United States.
And they were treated to a first-lap smash as Verstappen was catapulted into the lead when pole-sitter Carlos Sainz was spun off by George Russell.
And there were more fireworks when Fernando Alonso clipped Lance Stroll and was launched into the air at 200mph, causing his Alpine to do a wheelie.
Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris both had narrow escapes as they missed the wreckage, while Alonso somehow finished the race in seventh.
But after the race the Spaniard was hit with a 30-second time penalty after his damaged car was deemed unsafe by stewards. He is now classified as finishing 15th.
Once the mess from the crash was cleared up and the race restarted on lap 26, Verstappen kept ahead of Hamilton but for the first time in ages, the Mercedes man was able to keep up.
On lap 35, the Brit pitted for fresh tyres in what was a seamless synchronised stop for his Mercedes team.
Red Bull responded by calling in Verstappen a lap later but a problem with the front left wheel resulted in a slow 11.1 second pitstop.
The delay left Verstappen furious – “beautiful, f****** beautiful!” he shouted over the radio as he was leapfrogged in the pecking order by Hamilton and Leclerc.
Verstappen returned to the track in sixth but slowly chipped away at Hamilton’s lead, catching him with six laps to go.
He made his move at Turn 12, the two came incredibly close to banging wheels but he got the move done.
But there was still drama as both were warned about exceeding the track limits, triggering potential penalties. Yet Hamilton did not have to pace to mount a fightback. More

LEWIS HAMILTON came agonisingly close to winning a race for the first time this season.The Mercedes man will have to wait to end his season-long duck as he was pipped to the chequered flag by Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen did just enough to beat Lewis Hamilton in the United States GPCredit: Getty
The Brit looked set to capitalise on a Red Bull error but had to settle for secondCredit: Getty
Verstappen – who equals F1’s record for the most win in a season with 13 – also helped his team wrap up an emotional constructors’ championship.
Hamilton pushed him to the wire and crossed the line five seconds behind the Dutchman meaning his barren run, which stretches back to last November, goes on.
The two rivals played out a thrilling final six laps, as both struggled to remain inside the while lines as they battled for position.
But it was Verstappen who crossed the line first, helping Red Bull to an emotional victory following the death of the energy drink’s co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
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Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: “Max Verstappen you are world champion, we are world champions. That one was for Dietrich, thanks for all you have done”.
The Austrian tycoon passed away on Saturday evening. He was 78 – plunging his team into mourning.
There were no black armbands. Instead, Red Bull’s staff wore blue jeans, as was the billionaire’s preference.
There was a one-minute applause as teams paid their respects before the race and the message “Danke Didi” was displayed on the screen.
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Mateschitz discovered the Krating Daeng energy drink in 1984 when he was a travelling salesman working for a toothpaste company and transformed it into the global brand it is today.
His passing prompted Red Bull to suspend their ongoing discussion with F1’s governing body, the FIA, over their cost-cap breach which has dominated the news agenda for the past three races.
It means it will now rumble on into this week’s Mexican GP, against F1’s wishes given they want the matter resolved quickly as it has tarnished their sport.
Owners Liberty Media have been trying to grow F1’s popularity and a record crowd of 440,000 over the weekend show they are doing just that.
And they were treated to a first-lap smash as Verstappen was catapulted into the lead when pole-sitter Carlos Sainz was spun off by George Russell, earning the Mercedes man a five-second time penalty.
Verstappen set the pace but he was being pressed by Hamilton until the safety car was deployed on lap 18 when Valtteri Bottas spun off.
The race resumed at the end of lap 21 but only briefly as a big smash for Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso saw the safety car redeployed.
The Spaniard went into the rear of the Aston Martin, launching him into the air while Stroll’s wrecked car was spat out by the crash barrier and into oncoming traffic.
Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris both had narrow escapes as they missed the wreckage.
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Once the mess was cleared up and the race restarted on lap 26, Verstappen still kept ahead of Hamilton but crucially he was not able to pull away.
For the first time in ages, the Mercedes man was able to keep up – and it paid off.
On lap 35, the Brit pitted for fresh tyres in what was a seamless synchronised stop for his Mercedes team.
Red Bull responded by calling in Verstappen a lap later but while their stops are routinely the quickest – and they are the pitstop record holders – a problem with the front left wheel resulted in a slow 11.1second pitstop.
The delay left their driver furious – “beautiful, f***ing beautiful!” he shouted over the radio as he was leapfrogged in the pecking order by Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen returned to the track in sixth and had his work cut out to reach Hamilton. Slowly he chipped away.
And with six laps to go, he was within a second of the Mercedes as he eyed up his prey.
He made his move at Turn 12, the two came incredibly close to banging wheels but he got the move done. He was back ahead.
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But there was still drama as both were warned about exceeding the track limits, triggering potential penalties.
Yet Hamilton did not quite have the pace to mount a fight back as he crossed the line some five seconds behind, as Red Bull clinched their first team’s title in nine years.
Carlos Sainz spun on the first corner as Max Verstappen opened up a leadCredit: Splash
The Dutchman crossed the line ahead of this rivalCredit: AP
The Red Bull team celebrated in style in TexasCredit: Splash
Ed Sheeran was among the A-list celebrities in attendanceCredit: Getty
F1 paid tribute to Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz who passed away on SaturdayCredit: Getty More

LEWIS HAMILTON went toe to toe with a JET in his Mercedes Formula One car ahead of the United States Grand Prix.The British racing driver, 37, may have struggled in the 2022 Merc with no race wins so far this season.
Lewis Hamilton filmed himself racing against a jet planeCredit: @lewishamilton
The two vehicles were pretty level on the runwayCredit: @lewishamilton
The plane eventually took off into the skyCredit: @lewishamilton
But he showed he had total control of his F1 machine on an open runway – as he filmed himself racing the aeroplane.
Hamilton recorded the incredible battle from his cockpit.
He started off by pulling the visor down on his purple helmet and then getting off to a flying start, making up good ground on the jet.
But the pilot forced their way back before the pair were equally matched speeding down the track.
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And once the aircraft got up to the required pace, it suddenly took off and lifted into the air before swooping round and straight over Hamilton’s head in crazy scenes.
Hamilton wrote on Instagram: “Racing the jet was so mad, had to record it for myself. Hope you enjoyed the ride.”
Fans flooded the comments section with their replies loving the video.
One said: “Driving a Formula 1 car with one hand on the wheel and the other one recording the JET he is RACING AGAINST… Sir Lewis, you are truly a living legend.”
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Another wrote: “The pure skill, recording and driving simultaneously.”
And a third added: “The engineering involved in both of these machines is incredible.”
Hamilton will start tonight’s Grand Prix in Texas third on the grid.
He qualified 0.6s behind pole-sitter Carlos Sainz while Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc both took grid penalties for new parts. More