MEXICO CITY -- Lewis Hamilton's victory in Austin inched him to the verge of this year's championship crown. The Mercedes driver holds a 66-point lead over Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel with three races, and 75 points, left to play for.
The permutations for this weekend are simple -- much like he had to do for his first crown at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, he must finish fifth or better. Unlike that dramatic Sao Paulo climax, where he passed Timo Glock for fifth on the penultimate corner, he has two more races to secure the handful of points he needs this season.