Summary

  • Hamilton becomes five-time F1 title winner - equalling great Fangio

  • Hamilton 4th, Verstappen wins

  • Alonso, Sainz, Perez, Ricciardo out

Live Reporting

Niamh Lewis

  1. 'A nice place to start'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    Lewis Hamilton says he is not thinking about the championship, but he is certainly thinking about what happened in Mexico last year, when he also started third. Then, Max Verstappen, also starting second as he is this year, passed pole man Sebastian Vettel into Turn One, and then Vettel cut Hamilton’s tyre in Turn Three, and the Mercedes driver could fight back only to ninth.

    Hamilton said: “You saw what happened last year, with the red car behind. It really depends how we get away. But third place is a nice place to start, you get a good tow from the guys up ahead, so naturally I’ll be fighting to try to gain a position but of course I’ll be aware of the Bulls ahead.”

    Lewis HamiltonGetty Images

  2. Today's top line-up

    The three amigos. They're all fighting for space on the podium, and today means a hell of a lot for each of them individually.

    Hamilton has to finish seventh or higher to win the championship and it seems like he's got an excellent shot at it in starting P3.

    Daniel Ricciardo has won two races this year - China and Monaco - and he's had a torrid season after those two wins with seven retirements, so yesterday's flying lap, was very well deserved.

    Max Verstappen nearly became the first Dutchman to take pole, but he lost it by 0.029secs. He was the fastest all weekend, including in Q2, so it seemed like pole was his for the taking.

    Red Bulls and HamiltonGetty Images

  3. Awesome Aussies

    Today Daniel Ricciardo starts on pole. He's now up to three pole positions, but has a long way to go to catch his fellow countrymen.

    Jack Brabham and Mark Webber are the Australians with the most poles - 13 each - while Alan Jones got himself on to pole six times in his career.

    Jack BrabhamGetty Images

    Jack Brabham won the drivers championship three times (1959, 1960, 1966) in his career and gained 14 race victories from his 126 starts

  4. Daniel Ricciardo is on pole

    Daniel Ricciardo is on pole, and after what has been a roller coaster of a season for him, and it feels like it's been a long time coming for him to take his third career pole.

    Ricciardo won twice in the first half of the year in China and Monaco, but has since had a lot of engine problems giving him more retirements of any other driver this year.

    If you add together all of that, it's no wonder he's so excited to be on pole.

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  5. This is the day

    This is the day when the two championships could be decided.

    HamiltonReuters