Hamilton wins US Grand Prix

British rookie Lewis Hamilton won the US Grand Prix on Sunday to take his second victory in a row and forge 10 points clear of McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso in the Formula One championship.

Hamilton crossed the line 1.518 seconds ahead of the double world champion for his seventh podium finish in seven extraordinary starts.

Brazilian Felipe Massa was third for Ferrari.

Hamilton's second pole to flag win capped a stunningly successful North American swing for the 22-year-old Briton with maximum points from the two races.

McLaren stretched their advantage over Ferrari in the constructors' standings to 35 points.

"What a dream," an emotional Hamilton told reporters. "I never thought in a million years I would be here today with these drivers and win two races in North America.

"To come to Canada for the first time and now Indianapolis for the first time and have the best two races of my life, it's an amazing feeling. 

"Coming into the season you have to be realistic, I never expected anything but hoped to do well," he added. "I hoped maybe I could get a podium at some point but I have been on the podium the last seven races. It's insane."

COOL PERFORMANCE

Massa, followed home by team mate Kimi Raikkonen, put Ferrari back on the podium after being shut out in Canada. The top four finishers reflected their starting positions.

Sunday's race was only the second time in eight grands prix staged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2000 that Ferrari had failed to win.

With temperatures creeping toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Hamilton delivered another stunningly cool performance to lead McLaren to their third one-two finish of the season.

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen was fifth for Renault ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli in a Toyota.

Australian Mark Webber collected his first points of the season with seventh place for Red Bull while 19-year-old German Sebastian Vettel finished eighth for BMW Sauber and became Formula One's youngest point scorer.

Leading from pole, Hamilton, whose only experience with the Brickyard before Friday was through video games, posted a succession of fastest laps to open up a four second lead on Alonso.

But after the first pit stops the Spaniard began to give chase, slicing the gap and filling the Briton's rear view mirrors. 

As the race reached the midway point the two McLarens were less than a half-second apart and engaged in a thrilling duel, Alonso darting out and trying to out race Hamilton down the long home stretch on lap 38.

But Hamilton refused to wilt under pressure from a team mate who had sparked controversy earlier in the week by claiming his team mate was receiving preferential treatment.

Provisional results:

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1hr 31min 09.965

2. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren +00:01.518

3. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 00:12.842

4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 00:15.422

5. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Renault 00:41.402

6. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 01:06.703

7. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull-Renault 01:07.331

8. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) BMW Sauber 01:07.783

9. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 1 lap

10. Alexander Wurz (Austria) Williams-Toyota 1 lap

11. Anthony Davidson (Britain) Super Aguri-Honda 1 lap

12. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 1 lap

13. Scott Speed (U.S.) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2 laps

14. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Spyker-Ferrari 2 laps

15. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) Spyker-Ferrari 3 laps

16r. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams-Toyota 5 laps

17r. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 5 laps

r. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 18 laps

r. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri-Honda 60 laps

r. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull-Renault 73 laps

r. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 73 laps

r. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota 73 laps

(rank: r = retired, nc = not classified)