Lewis Hamilton became only the third Formula One driver in history to capture a fifth world title on Sunday as Max Verstappen won the Mexican Grand Prix.
Mercedes driver Hamilton, who equaled the five titles of late 1950s Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio with only seven times champion Michael Schumacher ahead of them, finished fourth while Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel took second place.
Hamilton, 33, had needed to finish seventh at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit to be sure of the title while four times champion Vettel had to win to have any hope of denying the Briton.
He was adding the 2018 crown to his championship wins in 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Hamilton has won at least one race each season since his debut 12 years ago, even when the odds have been stacked against him, in 2009 with McLaren or 2013 with Mercedes. That record is bettered only by Schumacher, a winner each year from 1992 to 2006.
He celebrated by executing 'doughnut' wheel spins for the cheering crowd before leaping out of his car and into the arms of his team.
After being congratulated by Vettel, Hamilton said: "It's a very strange feeling, a very humbling experience. To complete this when Fangio did it as well, it's a very surreal feeling."
""That's how you do it - that's how you drive, Lewis," said Hollywood film star Will Smith on Mercedes team radio after Hamilton took the chequered flag.
Hamilton, who started third on the grid, struggled with chronic tyre-wear after making a strong start in his Mercedes and settled for a cautious cruise to the title without a podium finish.
Verstappen, upstaged by his Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in qualifying on Saturday, came home 17.108 seconds ahead of Vettel after the luckless Australian pole-sitter retired with nine laps remaining.
A puff of smoke signalled an engine failure and his eighth 'Did Not Finish' (DNF) of the season while his 21-year-old Dutch tyro team-mate secured a repeat of his 2017 triumph, his second win this season and the fifth of his career.
Vettel's Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen came home third ahead of Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Nico Hulkenberg was sixth for Renault ahead of Charles Leclerc of Sauber, Stoffel Vandoorne of McLaren, Marcus Ericsson in the second Sauber and Pierre Gasly of Toro Rosso.
For Ferrari, it was a first double podium success in Mexico since 1990 with Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell.