Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1180732
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 OCTOBER 2019 23 SPORTS FORMULA 1 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday Weather Rather cloudy with showers mainly in the morning Visibility Generally good Wind West force 4 becoming Northwest Sea Slight becoming slight to moderate Swell Negligible TODAY TOMORROW Weather Crossword Across 1. Married man (7) 5. Lease holders (7) 9. Most tidy (7) 10. Affected by rust (5) 11. Country in NE Africa (5) 12. Jelly (3) 13. Crotchety (6) 14. Keep under restraint (6) 15. At the present time (3) 17. Ornamental water jets (9) 21. Minor falsehood (3) 23. Member of the Society of Friends (6) 24. Take on a fresh supply of fuel (6) 27. Cereal grain (3) 28. Slumbered (5) 29. That group (5) 30. List as an item (7) 31. Folds (7) 32. Make clear (7) Down 1. Pistol (7) 2. Devour (7) 3. Person who wields an axe (6) 4. Tending to deter (9) 5. Capital of Japan (5) 6. Situated in the north (8) 7. Feed bag (7) 8. Horizon (7) 16. Holy Land (9) 18. Abroad (8) 19. Living in water (7) 20. Combat area (3,4) 21. State in the SE United States (7) 22. Among (7) 25. Maintenance (6) 26. Transmits (5) ISOLATED SHOWERS UV: 5 MAINLY CLOUDY UV: 4 23 0 / 18 0 24 0 / 18 0 Button hails Hamilton's winning drive FEELS LIKE 23 0 FEELS LIKE 24 0 LEWIS Hamilton's drive to victory in Mexico was hailed as one of the finest of his ca- reer by former world cham- pion Jenson Button. Hamilton is set to win his sixth title in Texas on Sunday after he upset the form book to triumph in Mexico City. The 34-year-old Briton only needs to finish eighth at the American venue, where he has won on five of his last sev- en visits, to win the champi- onship, but he will wrap it up regardless if Mercedes team- mate Valtteri Bottas fails to win in Austin. A sixth title would move Hamilton above Juan Manuel Fangio and within one of Mi- chael Schumacher's record ti- tle haul of seven. Hamilton started as a rank outsider for victory in Mexi- co, but an impressive strategy call by his Mercedes team put him in the box seat to claim his 10th win of the year and 83rd of his career. Hamilton delivered by mak- ing his tyres last for 47 laps at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, holding off Fer- rari's Sebastian Vettel and Bottas. Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc dropped to fourth fol- lowing an ill-advised two-stop strategy by his Ferrari team. "For me, that was one of Lewis' best drives," Button, Hamilton's former team-mate at McLaren, told Sky Sports. "We know Lewis as the ag- gressive driver fighting for victory. "But this was a different vic- tory. He was really looking af- ter the car, he looked after the tyres, he was consistent, and he got the job done." Hamilton, who will head to New York on Monday, completed the job without his race engineer Pete Bon- nington, who was sidelined through illness. Bonnington is also set to miss Hamilton's likely championship corona- tion in America, too. Bonnington, known as 'Bono', has been Hamilton's race engineer for the past sev- en seasons. His absence here ended a run of 136 consecu- tive races together. Marcus Dudley stepped up from his role as performance engineer to fill Bonnington's shoes. "I came into the weekend not having Bono for the first time in seven years," said Ham- ilton. "Knowing that Bono wasn't around, I thought, jeez you could look at that as a disadvantage, but Marcus stepped into big shoes. It is not easy to work with a world champion who demands a lot. "Bono was texting all week- end, and I really just wanted to make him proud. He has devoted so much of his life to me for the last seven years and I am sure he is happy, and I like to think I can be proud of my performance today." Lewis Hamilton enjoys his win in Mexico