So far, he has won three races to Hamilton’s 10, qualified on pole four times to Hamilton’s 11, and set fastest race lap three times, to Hamilton’s seven.
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Hamilton was also among the spinners as the conditions changed from wet to damp to dry and then wet again, when it rained in the closing stages. If his last win was controversial, with Hamilton banging wheels with teammate Nico Rosberg at the first corner in a move that pushed the German wide, he appeared unapologetic.
“Coming into these next races I’m still motivated, just as I’ve been all year”, Hamilton said.
Nico Rosberg: “It´s very exciting to race here in Mexico for the first time”.
The two large grandstands tower over Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez like ancient pyramids.
Those who also criticised Rosberg for not making more of a fight of it might be missing the point, Hamilton said.
On Friday, in Mexico City, Rosberg said a post-mortem revealed a freak wind gust was to blame for the Austin incident, and maybe that’s true, with Hurricane Patricia making her presence felt throughout the weekend.
The most expensive tickets for this weekend’s F1 race, which include access to VIP areas and the pits, are going for as much as $13,500, with a few websites offering payment plans. Even though he’s riding in a dominant Mercedes vehicle, Hamilton has been even more so.
“The reason for me is just that I ” m very easy going and so I never really have any problems. It is still a mistake but I understand my mistake now and that’s important. Obviously they don’t want any tension in the team.
Mexico’s only current Formula One driver, who is likely to be joined on the grid by Esteban Gutierrez next season with new team Haas making an announcement later, was ninth and 15th fastest in the sessions. “I hit maybe a damp spot and got unlucky with the runoff because it wasn’t a hard hit”. He said he won’t back off to let Rosberg try to beat Vettel to second place in the driver standings.
“OK, the Constructors’ is done and the Drivers’ is done but I want to win, I’m sure Lewis wants to win, Vettel wants to win. I think it is a great layout”.
Perez is aiming for his sixth career podium finish.
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“It’s like the Race of Champions when it’s in a small arena, but the fans can see the cars up and close, so let’s hope they’ll have fun on Sunday”, continued Alonso.
