The circuit
The Circuit of the Americas in Austin plays host for the fourth time and is the 37th race to hold the title of US Grand Prix. It has a circuit distance of 5.513km and a race lap record of 1;39.347secs.
If results go a certain way, it will become the seventh American race at which an F1 world champion is crowned. That’s all because Lewis Hamilton is on the brink of winning his third world title.
What are the world title permutations?
With four races left to run this season, Hamilton is currently 66-points clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel having accumulated 302 points over the course of the campaign. Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg is a further seven points behind.
This means if Hamilton outscores Vettel by at least nine points, and Rosberg by at least two, he will clinch a third world title and become the first Briton to acheive the feat since Jackie Stewart in 1973.
With 25 points on offer for a win (25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1), victory would guarantee Hamilton the crown.
If he doesn’t secure that magical nine points, the battle will stay alive for at least the next race in Mexico the following weekend.
Latest odds
Lewis Hamilton – 4/9
Nico Rosberg – 5/2
Sebastian Vettel – 10/1
Valtteri Bottas – 25/1
Felipe Massa – 33/1
Kimi Raikkonen – 40/1
Nico Hulkenberg – 100/1
Sergio Perez – 100/1
Daniel Ricciardo – 100/1
Daniil Kvyat – 150/1
What happened last time out?
Hamilton won of course, and quickly donned a Sheriff hat as you do.
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Here’s how our F1 correspondent Daniel Johnson covered the win:
Lewis Hamilton delivered a typically swashbuckling performance in this Texas hoedown, overhauling Nico Rosberg to take his third win in the United States and an enormous leap towards a second drivers’ championship. No wonder he is thinking about making this place home.
Stevenage-born Hamilton assumed the role of the all-American hero here, hurrying and hassling Rosberg until he made a decisive move just before half-distance. From then on, Hamilton was out on his own in the Lone Star State.