Hamilton: It was a horrible way to do it!

He may be world champion for a fourth time, but Lewis Hamilton is not happy with his ninth-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton bemoaned the underwhelming way in which he wrapped up the 2017 Formula One drivers' championship, finishing ninth at the Mexican Grand Prix.

A collision with Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap left both drivers having to work their way through the field, with the German requiring a top-two finish to have any chance of keeping the title race alive.

Hamilton overtook Fernando Alonso to move up to ninth in the closing laps, leaving Vettel needing the win - an achievement he fell well short of by crossing the finish line in fourth.

It was a far from glamorous way for Hamilton to mark a momentous day on which he became the first British driver to win four drivers' titles, joining Vettel and Alain Prost on that tally.

"It was a horrible way to do it, to be honest," he told Sky Sports. "But what could I do?

Missed the podium... but he got his glass of champagne after all! @LewisHamilton ????#MexicoGP ???????? @F1 pic.twitter.com/95HZ5NWOoK — Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 29 oktober 2017

"I told you I wasn't going to go easy at turn one and I don't think I was too aggressive or anything like that.

"I'm looking forward to see the replay. I left a lot of space for the car behind. But I kept going and I kept coming back.

"Today was so unusual. Being 40 seconds behind is horrible, it's like being in no man's land. You just have to think forwards.

"I had no idea what was going to happen in the championship, I was just thinking about getting involved in the race.

"This is such a difficult track - if not the worst track - so trying to get past people was a disaster. The feelings are so mixed right now."

As a kid, I always dreamt of being in Formula 1. I never lost sight of that dream, even when people said it would be impossible. I stand here now with 4 World Championships and am proof that if you follow your dreams with everything you have, they can come true. I am so grateful to all 1,500 people in my Team who all have a dream of making the best F1 car and tirelessly make that dream a reality. My fans, #TeamLH, I would not be here without you. You've carried me through adversity and shared my joy in moments such as these. Truly, thank you. We are all rising together and I am so excited for what our future brings together. #LH4 ????#StillWeRise #TeamLH @mercedesamgf1 ????@suttonimages

Een bericht gedeeld door Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) op 29 Okt 2017 om 2:37 PDT