The 2018 US Grand Prix is in the books and what was expected to be the Lewis Hamilton 2018 F1 champion coronation instead became the Kimi Raikkonen Show as Raikkonen won his first Formula One race in five years. Hamilton finished third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Coming into the race, Hamilton had won the race five of the last six years including the last four in a row and was the pole-sitter – but that all went out the window on the first corner as Raikkonen, sitting alongside Hamilton on the first row, not only beat Hamilton to the corner but led the first 22 laps before pit stop strategies began to affect the race. Hamilton led for 15 laps before he had to pit and Raikkonen took control after that. Raikkonen deserves and gets full points for his win while Verstappen gets his deserved two points for starting 18th and finishing second – taking full advantage of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel spinning himself out of contention yet again and his teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s departure due to a faulty battery. Hamilton gets the final point and has already clinched the 2018 ASN F1 title.
The Pastor Maldonado Driving School Award is split between Verstappen and Vettel as Verstappen was starting in 18th due to running over kerbs and damaging his car in qualifying while Vettel waited until the race to spin himself out after touching wheels with Ricciardo on the first lap. Verstappen has already clinched the 2018 Pastor Maldonado Driving School Award title.
The Kimi Raikkonen “Leave Me Alone! I Know What I’m Doing!” Award goes to McLaren’s Fernando Alonso who was knocked out of the race on the first corner of the first lap and then whinged – “These guys are impossible to race with!” Alonso moves into a first-place tie with Verstappen for the category lead, with Hamilton a close second.
The Bernie Ecclestone Doofus Moment Award goes to Red Bull for their faulty battery causing the early demise of Ricciardo. Hamilton and Verstappen remain tied atop this category.
2018 ASN Formula One Driver Standings – after US Grand Prix
1] Lewis Hamilton – 35 points
2] Sebastian Vettel – 22
3] Valtteri Bottas/Kimi Raikkonen – 13
5] Max Verstappen – 11
6] Daniel Ricciardo – nine
7] Sergio Perez – three
8] Pierre Gasly/Nico Hulkenberg – two
2018 Pastor Maldonado Driving School Award – after US Grand Prix
1] Verstappen – 6.83 points
2] Romain Grosjean/Vettel – two
4] Bottas/Hulkenberg/Perez/Sirotkin/Vandoorne – one
9] Gasly/Hartley/Raikkonen – .5
12] Red Bull/Ricciardo – .33
2018 Kimi Raikkonen “Leave Me Alone! I Know What I’m Doing!” Award – after US Grand Prix
1] Fernando Alonso/Verstappen – 4.5 points
3] Hamilton – four
4] Bottas/Raikkonen/Vettel – one
7] Leclerc/Perez/Minttu Raikkonen/Verstappen pit – .5
2018 Bernie Ecclestone Doofus Moment Award – after US Grand Prix
1] Hamilton/Verstappen – 2.125 points
3] McLaren/Mercedes – 1.5
5] Toto Wolff – 1.125
6] Canadian Grand Prix officials/Ferrari pit [Raikkonen]/Force India/Mercedes pit [Hamilton]/Monaco Grand Prix officials/Red Bull/Vettel – one
13] Ecclestone – .625
14] Azerbaijan Grand Prix officials/Nico Rosberg/Spanish Grand Prix officials – .5
17] Gasly/Grosjean/Hulkenberg/Magnussen – .125