USA F1 Grand Prix 2015 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights and Reaction
Lewis Hamilton was crowned Formula One world champion once again as he negotiated a rain-soaked United States Grand Prix to win his 10th race of a quite remarkable season.
The Englishman had to do it the hard way at the Circuit of the Americas, having started behind team-mate Nico Rosberg at the line, but he wasted no time in doing so.
He gave the German the slip on the very first corner and even clipped his wheel as he sneakily took him on the inside. Yas Marina Circuit reflected on the Englishman’s conduct:
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Still, it proved to be a good decision for Hamilton, as he sat at the top of the podium and on top of the sport. Here’s a look at the full leaderboard from a dramatic race in Texas:
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:50:52.703 |
| 2 | Nico Rosberg | +2.800 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | +3.300 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | +22.300 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | +24.400 |
| 6 | Jenson Button | +28.000 |
| 7 | Carlos Sainz | +30.600 |
| 8 | Pastor Maldonado | +32.200 |
| 9 | Felipe Nasr | +40.200 |
| 10 | Daniel Ricciardo | +53.300 |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | +54.800 |
| 12 | Alexander Rossi | +75.200 |
| RET | Daniil Kvyat | +14 LAPS |
| RET | Nico Hulkenburg | +21 LAPS |
| RET | Marcus Ericsson | +31 LAPS |
| RET | Kimi Raikkonen | +31 LAPS |
| RET | Felipe Massa | +33 LAPS |
| RET | Romain Grosjean | +46 LAPS |
| RET | Valtteri Bottas | +51 LAPS |
| RET | Will Stevens | +55 LAPS |
We were forced to wait a long time for great track action at the United States Grand Prix, but it duly arrived on Sunday, as the positions chopped and changed at almost every turn.
Changeable conditions always throw grands prix wide open, and Sunday’s race was no different. Watching the safety cars was almost the main event in Austin, as every lead established quickly amounted to nothing. It certainly made for a compelling race, though.
Rosberg, Hamilton and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo fought vigorously for first place in the early exchanges, with the latter nudging in front ahead of the Mercedes duo on soft tyres.
However, that sprung Rosberg into life, and it wasn’t long before he brilliantly got himself nine seconds in front.
In any other race, you’d have expected the German to surge toward the finish line and keep his world championship dream alive, but this thrilling, stop-start race had other ideas.
Soon enough, the Mercedes duo were swapping first and second place, with Sebastian Vettel and Daniil Kvyat also looking to get on the podium.
However, it was the latter’s crash that won the race for Hamilton, as it gave the Englishman the chance to pit and change his aging tyres.
Had Hamilton gone in during race conditions, he’d have ended up coming out right in the middle of the pack and at risk of losing a lot of ground.
As it was, pitting during the safety car laps saw him on new soft tyres and ready for a big assault on the world title with 10 laps to go.
However, he still needed to find a way past his teammate.
And as the race restarted, Rosberg was flying. He got a few seconds in front of Hamilton and showed no signs of surrendering.
Then, the German’s world championship challenge ended.
On Turn 14, Rosberg lost his rear tyres and was forced off the track, allowing Hamilton to nip in front, as Sky Sports F1 revealed:
From then on, it was Hamilton's show.
All he really needed was to stay clean until the finish line, and he did that and more, storming ahead and winning in style by 3.6 seconds.
As he crossed the line, every spectator finally had a chance to pause for breath. BBC’s Chris Evans was one of many lauding such a spectacle in the States:
It’s nothing more than Hamilton deserves, either. He’s been almost faultless behind the wheel this season, and even if he wasn’t crowned champion in Texas, it would certainly have happened very soon afterward.
Here’s a look at the Formula One season standings as Hamilton moves into an unassailable lead:
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
| 1 | LEWIS HAMILTON | MERCEDES | 302 |
| 2 | SEBASTIAN VETTEL | FERRARI | 236 |
| 3 | NICO ROSBERG | MERCEDES | 229 |
| 4 | KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN | FERRARI | 123 |
| 5 | VALTTERI BOTTAS | WILLIAMS | 111 |
| 6 | FELIPE MASSA | WILLIAMS | 109 |
| 7 | DANIIL KVYAT | RED BULL RACING | 76 |
| 8 | DANIEL RICCIARDO | RED BULL RACING | 73 |
| 9 | SERGIO PEREZ | FORCE INDIA | 54 |
| 10 | ROMAIN GROSJEAN | LOTUS | 44 |
| 11 | NICO HULKENBERG | FORCE INDIA | 38 |
| 12 | MAX VERSTAPPEN | TORO ROSSO | 33 |
| 13 | FELIPE NASR | SAUBER | 25 |
| 14 | PASTOR MALDONADO | LOTUS | 22 |
| 15 | CARLOS SAINZ | TORO ROSSO | 12 |
| 16 | FERNANDO ALONSO | MCLAREN | 11 |
| 17 | MARCUS ERICSSON | SAUBER | 9 |
| 18 | JENSON BUTTON | MCLAREN | 8 |
| 19 | ROBERTO MERHI | MARUSSIA | 0 |
| 20 | WILL STEVENS | MARUSSIA | 0 |
| 21 | ALEXANDER ROSSI | MARUSSIA | 0 |
It was only fitting that he took the world championship crown on the most exciting grand prix of the season, where he dug deep and showed just how good he really is.
Next up for Formula One is the Mexican Grand Prix, where Hamilton can afford to relax knowing that he can’t be caught.
Not a second of it, though. Hamilton is a born winner, and another chequered flag in the Mexican capital would be far from a surprise.
Reaction
Hamilton was understandably emotional as he crossed the line in Austin, saying that winning his third world title was the best moment of his life, as Formula One revealed:
Rosberg, meanwhile, was forced to watch on as his team-mate enjoyed the champagne celebrations. It was very much a "nearly" year for the German, yet he remained honourable after the race:
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