Hamilton congratulates rival Versappen: "He did a great job"

Lewis Hamilton spent the final stages of the United States hunting down Max Verstappen but couldn't get close enough to attempt an overtake. The Dutchman held off to win the race and double his lead in the World Championship. 

Congratulations to Verstappen

In the interviews after the race, Hamilton was quick to offer his congratulations to his title rival. Mercedes opted to leave Hamilton out on the track to give him fresher tyres at the end of the race, but it wasn't enough. 

"Firstly, congratulations to Max he did a great job. It was such a tough race, got a good start and gave it everything. But at the end of the day, they had the upper hand. We couldn't ask for more. A big thank you to my team for great pit stops and work throughout the weekend," Hamilton said in a conversation with Jenson Button. 

F1 in the United States has grown significantly since the sport last raced there in 2019. Hamilton hopes for more races in the country. 

"I think this is our acceptance into the US. What a place to be, it's a real honour to be out here, I hope we get more races out here," he added.