World champion elect Lewis Hamilton said he was looking forward to an exciting fight with both Ferraris and Red Bull's pole-sitter Max Verstappen despite qualifying back in fourth for Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix. Hamilton, who can clinch his sixth world title if he outscores Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 14 points in Sunday's race, said he had hoped to qualify in the third position before Bottas' crash in the final seconds.

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Valtteri Bottas' crash

Bottas was severely shaken, but climbed out of his wrecked car and was transferred to the circuit medical center.He qualified sixth, making it unlikely that the drivers' title race will be settled on Sunday."I think third place was possible, but the last sector went to pot (when it was controlled by double yellow flags) so that was it," said Hamilton."Generally, I was quite happy with today. I knew it would be difficult, but I have a fighting position and I am going to give it everything.

"Red Bull look very quick on the long runs and I think it will be about seeing if their tyres last -- that is going to be the name of the game in this race. I am really looking forward to the fight."

 

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'I had to risk it':  Valtteri Bottas 

Valtteri Bottas admitted he "had to risk it" when he buried his Mercedes into a trackside wall in a frantic conclusion to qualifying at the Mexican Grand Prix. "I knew that I had to risk it in the last run to gain positions, so I tried to squeeze everything out of the car," said Bottas who is the only driver who can deny teammate Lewis Hamilton from securing a sixth world title.

"The lap was good until the last corner where I went a bit wide on the exit on the dusty part of the track and that's where I lost it and hit the wall.
 

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