Hamilton seeking another United States GP victory
Hamilton, now in his second season with Mercedes, has won the last four grand prix — Italy, Singapore, Japan and Russia. He currently holds a 17-point lead over his teammate and championship rival Nico Rosberg.
With Hamilton winning the Oct. 12 inaugural Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, Mercedes clinched its first constructors’ championship in F1.
After Austin, F1 moves on to Sao Paulo for the Nov. 9 Brazilian Grand Prix. The season concludes with the Nov. 23 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Drivers and teams will score double the amount of points at Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton is seeking his second F1 world championship. His first title came in 2008.
“To win the very first Formula One Russian Grand Prix and help the team achieve the first constructors’ championship for Mercedes-Benz with a one-two finish, it couldn’t have got much better,” Hamilton said. “Of course, we still have three races left to decide the drivers’ championship, starting in Austin, which is one of the best weekends of the year.
“A lot of the American side of my family come to the race. Plus, I won the first ever Formula One Grand Prix at the circuit back in 2012, so it’s a special one for me. I really enjoy going there, and I’m looking forward to another great race, hopefully ending up with another Stetson hat on the top step of the podium.”
Rosberg has finished second in four of the last five grand prix, including the previous two. He was forced to retire early in Singapore due to an electrical problem.
“We target a big finish to the season in the final three races,” Rosberg said. “It’s still all to play for in the battle for the drivers’ championship, and I won’t be giving up the fight until the flag drops in Abu Dhabi.
“Hopefully, we can keep the entertainment going right to the end for the fans out there enjoying the contest. The first step comes in Austin. I haven’t had the best races there so far, but I’m determined to change that this year.”
Rosberg’s two finishes in Austin were: 13th (2012) and 9th (2013).
Sunday’s USGP will feature just an 18-car field since Caterham and Marussia are both missing this race due to their current financial issues. Therefore, the FIA, the governing body of F1, has revised its qualifying format for the USGP. Instead of the slowest six cars being eliminated from Q1 and Q2, four cars will exit following each of the first two qualifying rounds. Q3 will remain the same, with 10 cars in that round.
The FIA confirmed on Friday that Vettel, the defending winner of the USGP, will start the 56-lap race from pit late since he will use his sixth power unit of the season in Austin. According to the new technical rules this year, drivers are only allowed to use five power units before incurring a penalty. The four-time world champion has claimed the pole for the first two USGPs.
Series: Formula One. Date: Sunday, Nov. 2. Race: United States Grand Prix. Site: Circuit of the Americas. Track: 3.426-mile (5.513-kilometer), 20-turn street circuit. Start Time: 3 p.m. ET. Laps: 56. Miles: 191.939 (308.405 km). 2013 Winner: Sebastian Vettel. Television: NBC.
Categorized in: FIA