Hamilton's road to his third title

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Britain's Lewis Hamilton clinched his third Formula One world championship on Sunday. The following looks at how the Mercedes did it, race-by race: - - - - AUSTRALIA Hamilton picked up where he left off at the end of the previous season in Abu Dhabi, taking his 34th career win and from pole position. Team mate Nico Rosberg was second and Sebastian Vettel third on his Ferrari debut. Hamilton 25 points, Rosberg 18, Vettel 15. - MALAYSIA MERCEDES Hamilton, in his 150th race, started on pole and led until the safety car was deployed, when he pitted and Vettel stayed out to win. Hamilton was second, Rosberg third. Hamilton 43, Vettel 40, Rosberg 33. - CHINA Win number 35 for Hamilton, who again started on pole and set the fastest lap. Rosberg complained about Hamilton's slow pace at the front, saying it had compromised his race. Hamilton 68, Vettel 55, Rosberg 51. - BAHRAIN Hamilton took his third win in four races, again from pole, with Rosberg starting and finishing third while Vettel managed only fifth. Hamilton 93, Rosberg 66, Vettel 65. - SPAIN Rosberg took his first win of the season, and from pole, with Hamilton second. The Briton set the fastest lap but paid the price for a poor getaway and slow pitstop and changed from a two stop strategy to three. Hamilton 111, Rosberg 91, Vettel 80. - MONACO Rosberg won in Monaco for the third year in a row after starting second. Hamilton led from pole and looked set to win until a needless late pitstop, with the safety car deployed, scuppered his chances. He finished third and behind Vettel. Hamilton 126, Rosberg 116, Vettel 98. - CANADA Hamilton returned to winning ways with his fourth victory of the season and fourth in Canada. He started on pole for the sixth time in seven races. Rosberg was second. Hamilton 151, Rosberg 134, Vettel 108. - AUSTRIA Another Mercedes one-two but this time with Rosberg winning and setting fastest lap. Hamilton started on pole and led for three laps, equalling Jackie Stewart's 45-year-old record of leading 17 successive races. It was his 15th successive podium. Hamilton 169, Rosberg 159, Vettel 120. - BRITAIN Hamilton started on pole, set the fastest lap and broke Stewart's record by leading his 18th successive race. He became only the third British driver to win three times at home. Rosberg was second. Hamilton 194, Rosberg 177, Vettel 135. - HUNGARY Mercedes had a nightmare, Hamilton starting on pole but making a poor start and dropping out of the points before recovering to finish sixth. He also collected a drive-through penalty for a collision with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. Rosberg was second, and might have won, but a collision with Ricciardo punctured a rear tyre. Vettel won. Hamilton 202, Rosberg 181, Vettel 160. - BELGIUM Mercedes bounced back with a one-two. Hamilton won from pole for his sixth victory of the season and 39th of his career. The race also brought his 80th podium, equalling Ayrton Senna's tally. Rosberg set the fastest lap. Vettel had a tyre blowout on his last lap while third and was classified 12th. Hamilton 227, Rosberg 199, Vettel 160. - ITALY Hamilton's seventh win of the season, 40th of his career and third at Monza which also made him the first back-to-back winner there since compatriot Damon Hill in 1993/94. The Briton, in his 50th race for Mercedes, started on pole for the 11th time in 12 races and set the fastest lap. Rosberg was third until his car's previously used engine blew with two laps left. Both cars were found to have tyres below the minimum pressure but stewards ruled Mercedes had followed the correct procedures. Hamilton 252, Rosberg 199, Vettel 178. - SINGAPORE Hamilton's first retirement of the season, and first since Belgium last year. The champion started fifth, with Rosberg sixth, but suffered a loss of boost pressure and retired on lap 32. Mercedes' run of 23 poles in a row came to an end, as did Hamilton's hopes of equalling Senna's tally of 41 wins from 161 starts. Rosberg finished fourth. Hamilton 252, Rosberg 211, Vettel 203. - JAPAN Hamilton's eighth win of the season and 41st of his career, equalling Senna's tally. Mercedes' eighth one-two finish. Rosberg started on pole for only the second time this year but lost out at the start. Hamilton set the fastest lap. Hamilton 277, Rosberg 229, Vettel 218. - RUSSIA Mercedes secured their second successive constructors' title with Hamilton winning for the ninth time this year, and second in a row in Russia. Rosberg started on pole but retired on lap seven with a throttle problem. Vettel finished second. Hamilton 302, Vettel 236, Rosberg 229. - UNITED STATES Hamilton took the title, winning the race despite Rosberg starting on pole after rain-affected qualifying. Rosberg made a mistake while leading late on and Hamilton swept past. Vettel came in third. Hamilton 327, Vettel 251, Rosberg 247 (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Clare Lovell)