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Lewis Hamilton claims United States GP pole ahead of Sebastian Vettel to take giant step closer to fifth F1 title

Lewis Hamilton took another step closer to a fifth world drivers' title with pole at the Circuit of the Americas - Getty Images North America
Lewis Hamilton took another step closer to a fifth world drivers' title with pole at the Circuit of the Americas - Getty Images North America

Lewis Hamilton laid the best possible platform for his fifth Formula One world title, underlining his supremacy here at the Circuit of the Americas with a record-extending 81st pole position.

With a brilliant late surge to squeeze out his arch-rival Sebastian Vettel, he set a dazzling track record in overcast, blustery conditions, giving him a priceless advantage in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix as he seeks to equal Juan Manuel Fangio with championship No 5.

The portents could hardly be more auspicious: Hamilton has won at this Texan track, a favourite of his, each of the last four years, while Vettel has been relegated to fifth with a three-place grid penalty, imposed after he had failed to slow down for a red flag in practice.

With Britain’s most decorated driver already holding a 67-point lead in the standings, Vettel must target no worse than second if he is to have any hope of extending the duel as far as next weekend’s race in Mexico City.

“That was very important,” said Hamilton, his relief palpable after a tense qualifying tussle between Mercedes and Ferrari. “It was close. I knew it was quite edgy between us, that it was going to require a solid lap. I was adamant I was going to pull it off.”

 Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 on track during final practice for the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 20, 2018 in Austin, United States. - Credit: getty images
It was close but Hamilton delivered the goods again in Austin Credit: getty images

For Vettel, the damage could already be irreparable after his Friday penalty. It was the latest in a catalogue of Ferrari errors this season, which included Vettel spinning out of the lead at his home race in Germany. Such haplessness has been the difference in their battle with Mercedes, who have made remarkably few mistakes.

“It was a shame to miss out by so little time,” Vettel said. “The wind was quite tricky at times. I’m pretty happy that we’re back in range, given the past few weeks we have had.”

Hamilton, so relaxed during qualifying that he found time to chat to Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey, a guest in the Mercedes garage, has had the beating of Vettel ever since the summer break. While Vettel ratcheted up the pressure with an impressive final lap, Hamilton still surpassed him by six hundredths of a second. 

Final Positions after Qualifying:

  1. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 32.237secs

  2. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:32.298

  3. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:32.307

  4. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:32.616

  5. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:33.494

  6. Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:34.145

  7. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:34.215

  8. Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:34.250

  9. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Sauber-Ferrari 1:34.420

  10. Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:34.594

  11. Carlos Sainz (Spa) Renault 1:34.566

  12. Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:34.734

  13. Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso No Time

  14. Brendon Hartley (Nzl) Scuderia Toro Rosso No Time

  15. Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull No Time

  16. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:35.294,

  17. Sergey Sirotkin (Rus) Williams 1:35.362

  18. Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:35.480

  19. Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:35.536

  20. Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:35.735

Note:Sebastian Vettel has a three place grid penalty for not slowing sufficiently during a Red Flag period in FP1

Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley are required to start the race from the back of the starting grid after power unit changes

11:19PM

It is all set up very nicely for tomorrow

Raikkonen getting ahead of Bottas was the key, really. Pole would have been what Vettel and Ferrari wanted but Raikkonen, remember, will start on the better tyres tomorrow. Hamilton, also did extra laps on his starting tyres in Q2 and also locked up on them. So that may affect the length of his first stint and his pace in it. 

Vettel will start down in fifth place, which is not ideal, but the championship is such a distant target for him now. But there's still a chance he can keep this alive. 

Thanks for joining me and I'll be back tomorrow from around 6pm BST for all the race build-up. Lights out at 7.10pm BST tomorrow. The championship is still alive. Just. And we may have a very, very interesting tactical race tomorrow. 

11:12PM

Toto Wolff reacts

I'm very happy about that. It's so close between the top three. My thinking goes already to tomorrow. We're lacking a bit of straight line speed I'm very worried about Ferrari. It was always very close the whole season and it's going to continue. [On winning the championship tomorrow] It's getting the best possible race result and scoring the points and if it doesn't come tomorrow we have to do a better job in Mexico. 

It looks favourable for Hamilton tomorrow but it's a long run up to turn one and with Raikkonen on the quicker tyres and with seemingly better straight line speed that could be a worry. But Raikkonen is not known for his quick starts in recent times.  

11:10PM

Raikkonen reacts to his third position on the grid....but he will start on the front row on the quicker tyres

11:08PM

It was a good lap, to be fair

11:07PM

Sebastian Vettel reacts to his second place finish

It was pretty close. Obviously a bit of a shame when you miss out on that little time. I was pretty happy with the laps I had. It was quite tricky to get everything together. The wind was quite tricky at times. Pretty happy that we are back in range. It seems that we are better off. I think today has been surprisingly close. 

He starts P5 tomorrow.  

11:06PM

Hamilton reacts to ANOTHER pole position

That was very important. That was close, these guys have...I didn't know how close it would be once we went into qualifying. The first one was decent but not good enough. The second one was just that little bit better that enabled me to pull it out. I was adamant that I was going to do a better second lap. The track has been incredible. Once we got into qualifying it was rubbering in. 

Lewis Hamilton reacts to pole position - Credit: sky sports f1
Lewis Hamilton reacts to pole position Credit: sky sports f1

11:04PM

The top 10

  1. HAM

  2. VET

  3. RAI

  4. BOT

  5. RIC

  6. OCO

  7. HUL

  8. GRO

  9. LEC

  10. PER

11:03PM

"How much did we miss it by?"

Asks Vettel. He is told and swears on the radio. As well he might. Oh well. 

11:01PM

LEWIS HAMILTON TAKES POLE FOR THE 2018 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX!

Bottas doesn't improve, he stays third! Raikkonen goes onto provisional pole but Hamilton pips it by 0.070s...

What can Vettel do?! It's second by 0.061 seconds. It's not enough! It was so, so close. It's pole for Lewis Hamilton! 

Raikkonen, with that lap, will start second on the quicker ultrasoft tyre! That could be interesting...

11:00PM

Q3 - Bottas down in sector one

Hamilton improves his time. Vettel goes quickest of all in S1 though! And Raikkonen goes purple in sector two! Oooh. Hamilton improves in the second sector...

10:58PM

Q3 - "There's some rain on the back straight," Raikkonen says

Hardly much, though. Anyway, Bottas begins his hot lap.

10:58PM

Q3 - Final runs underway

Vettel has another click of front wing added. Will that help? Bottas will be the first of the top four to set a time. 

10:56PM

This obviously doesn't look great for Ferrari or Vettel at the moment

It's a net front row lockout for Mercedes and Vettel would have Ricciardo and Raikkonen between him and Bottas in second. Raikkonen really needs to get in amongst as he'll be starting on the quickest tyres tomorrow. Pole would be great but ahead of Bottas is a must. 

10:55PM

A new lap record...but of course

10:54PM

Q3 - top 10 after the first runs

Q3 top 10 - Credit: formula1.com
Q3 top 10 Credit: formula1.com

 It's close. Raikkonen must've made a mistake in sector two, he lost a lot of time to Hamilton there. 

10:53PM

Q3 - Hamilton quickest!

He beats Bottas's lap time by just over a tenth! Raikkonen can't beat it or Bottas's time...

Vettel can't beat Hamilton's time either! He's 0.088s behind Hamilton. Good news for Mercedes...

10:51PM

Q3 - off they go on their hot laps!

Botts and Hamilton lead them out. Bottas sets a quick time in S1, beaten by Hamilton and then beaten by Raikkonen and THEN beaten by Vettel!

This could be close, all within a tenth. Hamilton improves in sector two and he's four tenths ahead of Raikkonen in that part of the track...

10:49PM

Q3 - Bottas not messing around on his out lap

The quickest time of anyone in second sector. We wait for his hot lap...

10:48PM

Q3 begins! 12 minutes to go

Who will take pole? Ferrari look good but, you know...

10:48PM

This is, by the way, Romain Grosjean's 11th consecutive appearance in Q3

After a tricky start to the season he has turned it around nicely. 

10:45PM

Another fine performance for Force India

10:44PM

Q2 - top 10

All these lads are through:

  1. RAI

  2. VET

  3. HAM

  4. BOT

  5. RIC

  6. LEC

  7. GRO

  8. OCO

  9. PER

  10. HUL

That lap of Leclerc's was a very, very good one. Two tenths ahead of Grosjean. Nice! 

10:43PM

Q2 ends - Raikkonen quickest

Neither Mercedes or Vettel improved their times so they WILL start on the supersofts tomorrow. A bit of kidology, there. Raikkonen will start on the quickest ultrasoft tyre though.

Anyway.

Drivers out: Sainz, Magnussen, Gasly, Hartley and Verstappen. 

10:41PM

Q2 - Can Magnussen and Sainz dig themselves out of the drop zone?

Doesn't look good for them both on these laps...

Magnussen does not improve and stays in 12th. He's out. Hulkenberg does not improve from 10th but he might be safe. Leclerc driving well again but doesn't improve on his time...

Vettel goes quickest in the middle sector

Sainz does not make it through! He got it back but is out by 0.002 seconds! 

10:39PM

Q2 - Hamilton out on fresh ultrasofts

Bottas, too. And Vettel. So that supersoft starting strategy has not materialised. Well, it might do...if they don't set a lap on these tyres? Will they set a lap on these or will they trundle round and see how it goes...probably. Bit hard to monitor, though. 

10:35PM

Q2 - top 10 with five minutes left

Q2 top 10 - Credit: formula1.com
Q2 top 10 Credit: formula1.com

10:34PM

Q2 - drivers in the drop zone

11. Sainz

12. Magnussen

13. Gasly

14. Hartley

15. Verstappen

Both Toro Rossos and Max Verstappen will not set a time in this session, though. Or will they? Hartley is out...

 

10:33PM

Q2 - Hamilton's second hot lap is no great shakes

He's five tenths off after the first two sectors and ends up with a decent-ish final sector to put him third, six tenths of Raikkonen and four tenths off Vettel. Have Ferrari been concealing their pace or are the conditions coming to them?

10:31PM

Q2 - both Mercs on supersofts, by the way

Hamilton it seems is not coming in for a change of tyres but is going again on the same set of tyres. They're obviously not flat spotted but he will have done another two laps on them. Hmmm. Vettel and Raikkonen are clearly safe, here. 

10:30PM

Q2 - Raikkonen quickest!

He's on the ultrasofts though. Vettel, though, is only two tenths behind on the supersofts. Hamilton makes a mistake locking up on his hot lap and he will go again. He's currently in P4 behind Bottas, 1.193 off the lead. 

10:29PM

I do love these shots of the cars coming over the crest of the hill...

...with the viewing tower in the background. Moody. 

Max Verstappen at the Circuit of the Americas - Credit: getty images
Max Verstappen at the Circuit of the Americas Credit: getty images

10:28PM

That's it for Max Verstappen then

No further action for him today after that suspension failure. So another four drivers eliminated in this session. Makes things easier for the midfield runners. 

10:26PM

Q2  begins! Big guns out already

Hamilton, Bottas and Vettel out on supersoft tyres. 

10:25PM

Once again both Williams cars and both McLaren cars eliminated in Q1...

...a theme for the season. No surprise to see Vandoorne at the bottom of the timesheets again and he was once again miles behind Alonso, who has out-qualified him at every race in 2018. 

10:23PM

Hamilton nearly four tenths ahead of Bottas

And Vettel. Normal order resumed, then. Any other surprises? Not really. 

10:22PM

"That is P16 Fernando, P16"

He was 0.088s from making it through. He will start ahead of Hartley, though, as both Toro Rossos will start from the back tomorrow. 

10:21PM

Q1 - Top 10 

  1. HAM

  2. BOT

  3. VET

  4. RAI

  5. RIC

  6. VER

  7. GAS

  8. OCO

  9. SAI

  10. GRO

Also through:Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Leclerc, Perez, Hartley...

10:20PM

Q1 ends - Hamilton quickest

Ocon improves to P7. Alonso jumps up to P13! Can Vandoorne improve? Yes but it's not enough...

Leclerc improves. Hartley improves! And that knocks Alonso down to P16 and he's out of Q1. Sainz into P8, Gasly into P7!

Phew. What a finish.

Drivers out:  Alonso, Sirotkin, Stroll, Ericsson, Vandoorne

10:17PM

Q1 - final runs underway

Can Alonso dig out a lap quick enough to get him through to Q2? Don't bet against it, he sets his quickest first sector of the day in sector one...

10:15PM

Q1 - Three minutes left

Hamilton has improved his time by a few hundredths, by the way on his second hot lap.

Drivers in the drop zone: Alonso, Sirotkin, Ericsson, Vandoorne, Stroll

Leclerc in 14th and Hartley in 15th on the cusp by about a tenth of a second. 

10:14PM

Okay, Verstappen ran very wide over the yellow sausage kerbs as he put his foot on the throttle...

...and that seemed to do his suspension in. He should be through to Q2 but it seems unlikely - or doubtful - that he will take part. 

10:13PM

Q1 - Six minutes left

Grosjean improves to sixth bumping Alonso down to the drop zone. Gasly improves to ninth. Max Verstappen seems to have a problem with his engine...again! Sounds like he has a bag of neutrals but actually it's his right rear suspension that's had it...where did that happen? 

10:11PM

Q1 - top 10 with eight minutes left

Q1 top 10 - Credit: formula1.com
Q1 top 10 Credit: formula1.com

 Drivers in danger: Vandoorne, Stroll, Hartley, Grosjean (no time), Gasly (no time) 

10:09PM

Red Bulls on the charge

 Meanwhile Raikkonen improves but Bottas goes quickest by 0.05s ahead of Vettel. What can Lewis do? He's quickest in the first two sectors but he's three tenths up on Bottas. A 1.34.1 despite a scruffy final turn. 

10:08PM

Q1 - Raikkonen improves on his second hot lap in sector one

It's quick. Verstappen also going well here, running very wide at turn nine, though. 

10:07PM

Q1 - 11 minutes to go

A lot of brake dust as Hamilton exits the pit lane on his out lap. Leclerc currently in third but only seven drivers to set a time and only six to have set a representative one as Stroll is currently 11 seconds off the pace. 

10:05PM

Q1 - Vettel goes quickest

A 1.34.569, four tenths or so ahead of Raikkonen. Leclerc currently in third. Pierre Gasly has his time eliminated due to exceeding track limits. Will he be the last today? Doubt it. 

10:04PM

Q1 - 15 minutes to go

Raikkonen takes a slingshot around the final turn and onto the pit straight for his first flying lap. That first sector is amazing to watch from the helicopter. 

10:02PM

So, the problem with Raikkonen's car was that they couldn't start it...

...which seems like a fairly major annoyance. Anyway, they got it started in time and he's out on track along with his team-mate. 

10:01PM

Q1 - 17 minutes to go

A few cars out now including Raikkonen and both Toro Rossos. 

10:00PM

Here we go, green light in the pit lane and Q1 is go!

Nobody out yet. 

9:55PM

The weather for qualifying...

...which is just about to start. 

9:54PM

The engine cover of Kimi Raikkonen's car is off...

...well, actually it has just gone back on. Not sure what the problem with that was, if there was one but that's running it a bit fine...some fine tuning from the top two teams going on as we speak. Mercedes look to be lacking a bit on the straights compared to the Scuderia. 

9:50PM

A reminder at how good Hamilton is at this track...

...he has won here the last four years and five times in six years. He has often had to do that from outside pole position, though. 

9:46PM

How much will F1 miss Fernando Alonso? A born racer. Even in practice sessions...

9:40PM

Okay, just over 20 minutes to go until Q1 starts

Whilst I may have undersold the significance of this qualifying session earlier due to Vettel's penalty, if Vettel can be quickest (meaning he'll start fourth) and Raikkonen can qualify second with Bottas ahead of Hamilton then it could be interesting. But perhaps I am clutching at straws. 

9:37PM

In case you missed it (or ICYMI in internet parlance)

Upcoming British driver and current F2 series leader George Russell signed for Williams last week for the 2019 season. Read more on that here. He will be the third British driver on the grid after Lando Norris (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes, obvs). 

9:35PM

How Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes built an F1 dynasty to rival that of the great Michael Schumacher

At a touch past 3pm Texan time on Sunday, on a swathe of scruffy, reclaimed grassland once known as Wandering Creek, Lewis Hamilton stands ready to light his name in the Formula One firmament. A fifth world title: it is a moment savoured by a driver only twice before, when Juan Manuel Fangio sliced through the field at the Nurburgring in 1957, and when Michael Schumacher, irresistible as ever in his Ferrari, emulated the Argentine at Magny-Cours 45 years later, with almost half a season to spare. Whatever one thinks of Hamilton or his sometimes lurid off-track antics, this is a rare and precious moment in the annals of sport.

French Grand Prix - Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, France - June 24, 2018 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the race - Credit: reuters
Lewis Hamilton stands on the verge of a fifth world drivers' title Credit: reuters

Read the inside story on Lewis Hamilton's 2018 F1 season from Oliver Brown here.  

9:31PM

Current driver standings

  1. Lewis Hamilton - 331

  2. Sebastian Vettel - 264

  3. Valtteri Bottas - 207

  4. Kimi Raikkonen - 196

  5. Max Verstappen - 173

  6. Daniel Ricciardo - 146

  7. Sergio Perez - 53

  8. Kevin Magnussen - 53

  9. Nico Hulkenberg - 53

  10. Fernando Alonso - 50

9:28PM

What happened to that rain then?

We had plenty of it on Friday and more was forecast for today. But that forecast changed and it looks like we're going to have a dry qualifying session. In some ways that is a bit of a shame but the conditions are still a little windy and overcast. 

9:25PM

Why Lewis Hamilton's late-season march to the title is no surprise

Since the 2018 Formula One season returned from its summer break, Lewis Hamilton has given himself a commanding championship lead. The gap to Sebastian Vettel now stands at 67 points going into the United States Grand Prix, up from 14 before the summer break. 

Hamilton has been driving exceptionally, despite Ferrari closing the gap to Mercedes and perhaps even being the quicker car for much of this period.  

How and why is he so good after the summer break? We (well, I did...) crunched the numbers. Read more here.  

9:22PM

Hamilton and Vettel get very close to one another in FP3 earlier today

Looks like fun, doesn't it?

9:19PM

What does Vettel need to do this weekend to keep the title alive until Mexico next week?

9:18PM

Well, he hasn't won it yet but it's almost just a formality...

Lewis Hamilton stands very close to emulating Juan Manuel Fangio's five world titles, a different driver in a vastly different era. Want to know more about this Argentine legend? 

When the prospect of emulating Juan Manuel Fangio was first put to Lewis Hamilton, at a gala dinner in Paris last year, he responded blankly, saying only that it would be “quite cool”. Now that it is virtually a racing certainty that he will match the Argentine’s five Formula One titles, his attitude has shifted, his appreciation fulsome for a man whose 1950s feats have lost none of their mystique. “He’s the godfather for us,” he said here in Austin. “It’s crazy to think that I’m embarking on a similar number of championships.”

Read more from Oliver Brown here.  

9:13PM

The track for this weekend, the fantastic Circuit of the Americas

The Circuit of the Americas - Credit: formula1.com
The Circuit of the Americas Credit: formula1.com

 It's undulating, it has a great esses section and a few good overtaking opportunities. That first corner, though, is one of the best on the calendar. 

9:11PM

More on Vettel's three-place grid penalty

Sebastian Vettel received a three-place grid penalty for not slowing sufficiently under red flags in first practice. The incident was when track marshals were cleaning the track of gravel after Charles Leclerc's spin. The Ferrari driver was judged by the stewards not to have slowed down enough - according to strict timing data - under the red flag. 

Here's what he said afterwards. 

“I think I saw the red flag, I slowed down, had a look around [to see] where was the car potentially stuck in the wall,” said Vettel, “if there was one around Turn 9 and 10 and then slowed down significantly to comply with the rules. They found it took too long.

“I think it’s the first time we had [the target lap] in the wet and in the wet the target is a lot slower, so literally I have to stop to 30kph or 40, 50 kph, to bring down the delta, which probably I should do next time. In my opinion it’s not the right thing...if there’s a car behind you, it might run into you, but more important that you don’t get a penalty.”

Esteban Ocon received the same penalty for the same reasons in Japan two weeks ago.  

9:06PM

The top 10 and times after FP3

  1. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1min 33.797secs

  2. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:33.843

  3. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:33.870

  4. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:34.556

  5. Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:34.703

  6. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:34.910

  7. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Sauber-Ferrari 1:35.365

  8. Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:35.411

  9. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) Renault 1:35.45

  10. Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:35.468

8:43PM

Good evening, F1 fans!

And welcome to our live updates from qualifying for the 2018 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Lewis Hamilton stands on the verge of a fifth world title and becoming the equal of Juan Manuel Fangio. If he wins and Sebastian Vettel finishes lower than second, the championship is his with three rounds to spare. He won the 2015 title at this circuit and is unbeaten here since 2013, so it's a particularly favourite track of his. 

But that's all tomorrow's action. We still have qualifying to sort out today and it could be an unpredictable one. Unpredictable because of the limited dry running we've had. In fact, today's final practice was the first dry running we've had at COTA all weekend, as both Friday's practice sessions were wet. Hamilton topped both of those but Vettel was the man to emerge on top of the timesheets in final practice, ahead of his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen

Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF71H on track during final practice for the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 20, 2018 in Austin, United States.
Sebastian Vettel was fastest in final practice for the United States Grand Prix

Hamilton was third just ahead of Valtteri Bottas, although behind Ferrari by such a small margin that the positions are perhaps a little insignificant. Or at least not as significant as they might have been. That should have set us up for an exciting qualifying. At least relatively.

But it won't because Vettel will take a three-place grid penalty for the race tomorrow after failing to slow sufficiently for red flag conditions in practice yesterday. So it's unlikely he'll start ahead of Hamilton tomorrow. He said it was unfair but the FIA disagreed obviously and it was consistent with other penalties applied throughout the season. 

Anyway, we're here to see if Vettel can keep his title fight going until Mexico. With that penalty he has a job but one mistake from Hamilton could change it all. I'm not sure the last time Hamilton made a significant mistake, though...

I'll be here for the next couple of hours with all the build-up, latest updates and reaction from the US GP qualifying. Can anyone spring a surprise anywhere on the grid? Let's hope so...