Lewis Hamilton says his fourth Formula One world championship was the hardest to win, after beating Sebastian Vettel to the title at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Pole sitter Vettel needed to win the race with Hamilton lower than fifth in order to keep his slim title chances alive until the penultimate race of the season in Brazil, but contact between the pair in the opening sequence of corners forced both drivers to make an early pit stop to repair respective damage to their cars.
Vettel pulled off a charging recovery drive to finish fourth, while Hamilton crossed the line in a low-key ninth, a result which proved enough for the Briton to seal his fourth F1 title, moving him level with Vettel and alongside Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Alain Prost as the only drivers to have won at least four world championships.