Hamilton wins Mexico Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg failed to clinch the drivers' title on Sunday after finishing second to Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in the Mexican Grand Prix.

The German driver would have won the title had he finished first, and Hamilton, who is in second place in the standings, finished 10th or lower. Hamilton's victory was his eighth win of the season and Mercedes' one-two finish was the team's 17th of the campaign - a new Formula One record. 

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finished fourth in the actual race, but after it was all over, he was first promoted to third by race officials due to Red Bull's Max Verstappen having cut a corner on him in the final lap, resulting in a five-second penalty for the young Dutch teenager. However, Vettel was later dropped back to fifth place after a 10-second penalty was imposed on him for moving dangerously while defending against Daniel Riccardo, who was in turn promoted to third.

Verstappen had also banged wheels with Rosberg at the start of the race, in an aggressive move that earned him sharp criticism from the Mercedes camp. 

"Nico clearly was in front and Verstappen rams him off the track," Niki Lauda, Formula One legend and Mercedes team's chairman, said of the incident, which occurred at the first corner.

"This could have cost Nico the championship. This is not acceptable," Lauda added.

Hamilton's victory cut Rosberg's lead in the drivers' standings to 19 points, but the German-Finnish driver remains the favorite to win his first title. He needs just one second and one third-place finish from the final two races of the season in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. A first-place finish in Sao Paulo on November 12 would also clinch the title for Rosberg.

Hamilton had begun the race in pole position and held the lead despite locking wheels and cutting the grass on the first corner. The win was the 51st of his career and ties him with Alain Prost for the second-most in Formula One history.