Hamilton joins Fangio with 'surreal' fifth world title

Lewis Hamilton claimed his fifth drivers' world championship to draw level with Juan Manuel Fangio in the Formula One record books when he finished fourth behind a victorious Max Verstappen in the Mexican Grand Prix.

Hamilton's success - the third time he has taken the title without finishing on the race podium - elevated him to a supreme club alongside Fangio with only seven-time champion Michael Schumacher ahead of him.

He was adding the 2018 crown to his championship wins in 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2017.

The 33-year-old Briton's only remaining championship rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, who needed a victory, with Hamilton outside the top seven, to keep his hopes alive, finished second on Sunday.

He celebrated by executing 'doughnut' wheel spins for the cheering crowd before leaping out of his car and into the arms of his team.

After being congratulated by Vettel, Hamilton said: "It's a very strange feeling right now."
- 'Surreal' -
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"I just feel very very humble, of course I dreamed about this but I never thought I'd be standing here as a five-time champion."
"It is not easy today but well deserved for him and I want to congratulate Lewis. They did a superb job all year. We need to stand there, accept that and send congratulations. We would have liked to have hung in there longer, but it was not to be."
"It was a shame to lose Daniel. We wanted two of us on the podium. A party tonight? No, I'm going home!"
- 'Keep pushing' -
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