A good few minutes for Renault as Nico Hulkenberg jumps up to sixth, with team-mate Carlos Sainz at seventh. Force India's Esteban Ocon also is moving up, to eighth and all this drops Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo all the way down to ninth.
F1 Zorg & Badger GP Fantasy Grand Prix 2017
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- Start date
19:02
Hamilton fastest in final practice session
Fastest in session one, fastest in session two and fastest in session three.
A perfect weekend so far for Lewis Hamilton, whose time of 1:34.478 is a track record.
Sebastian Vettel is just behind in 1:34.570, with Valtteri Bottas up to third. Kimi Raikkonen is fourth, while the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo end fifth and ninth respectively.
Hamilton fastest in final practice session
Fastest in session one, fastest in session two and fastest in session three.
A perfect weekend so far for Lewis Hamilton, whose time of 1:34.478 is a track record.
Sebastian Vettel is just behind in 1:34.570, with Valtteri Bottas up to third. Kimi Raikkonen is fourth, while the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo end fifth and ninth respectively.
Just done my predictions....
Haas' frustrations continue with Romain Grosjean 19th after ended up in the gravel and Kevin Magnussen only 16th.
Daniil Kvyat, praying for a decent weekend, was the slowest with car problems ruining his session.
Daniil Kvyat, praying for a decent weekend, was the slowest with car problems ruining his session.
The F1 Whisperer has spokenJust done my predictions....
US GP qualifying
Summary
- Hamilton fastest, Vettel 2nd, Bottas 3rd in final practice - qualifying at 22:00 BST
- Ferrari change Vettel's monocoque, Grosjean spins out
- Hamilton could win title this weekend
The end for Kvyat?
Evidence is mounting that Daniil Kvyat’s return to the cockpit of a Toro Rosso will be for only this one weekend.
Red Bull are waiting to see how Brendon Hartley gets on this weekend before making a final decision on who will partner Pierre Gasly when he returns for the next race in Mexico but the default position is that it will be Hartley as long as he goes well here in the US.
Toro Rosso exists to act as a feeder for drivers to Red Bull and sources have told BBC Sport the team see no scenario in which Kvyat would ever be drafted back into the senior team - after all, he has been dropped from it once, and last month he was dropped from Toro Rosso as well.
So why on earth would they run him again, unless Hartley proves he is not up to the job?
Evidence is mounting that Daniil Kvyat’s return to the cockpit of a Toro Rosso will be for only this one weekend.
Red Bull are waiting to see how Brendon Hartley gets on this weekend before making a final decision on who will partner Pierre Gasly when he returns for the next race in Mexico but the default position is that it will be Hartley as long as he goes well here in the US.
Toro Rosso exists to act as a feeder for drivers to Red Bull and sources have told BBC Sport the team see no scenario in which Kvyat would ever be drafted back into the senior team - after all, he has been dropped from it once, and last month he was dropped from Toro Rosso as well.
So why on earth would they run him again, unless Hartley proves he is not up to the job?
- Hamilton top in Q1, Hartley & Stroll out.
The men to miss out are...
- Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
- Lance Stroll (Williams)
- Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
- Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber)
- Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
23:36
Confident I can do a good job - Hartley
Here's Brendon Hartley after his first ever Formula 1 qualifying session: "It's been a steep learning curve all weekend, it's been getting better and better - there's a lot to learn on these tyres, with managing the temperatures.
"I feel confident I can do a good job tomorrow."
Confident I can do a good job - Hartley
Here's Brendon Hartley after his first ever Formula 1 qualifying session: "It's been a steep learning curve all weekend, it's been getting better and better - there's a lot to learn on these tyres, with managing the temperatures.
"I feel confident I can do a good job tomorrow."
23:44
Alonso safe into Q3
Alonso saves himself late on, launching himself up to ninth. "I cannot do much more than this," says an exhausted-sounding Alonso.
The five to miss out on Q3 are ...
So, we have two Mercedes, two Ferrari, two Red Bulls, two Force India, one McLaren and one Renault through into Q3.
Alonso safe into Q3
Alonso saves himself late on, launching himself up to ninth. "I cannot do much more than this," says an exhausted-sounding Alonso.
The five to miss out on Q3 are ...
- Felipe Massa (Williams)
- Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso)
- Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
- Romain Grosjean (Haas)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
So, we have two Mercedes, two Ferrari, two Red Bulls, two Force India, one McLaren and one Renault through into Q3.
23:52
Hamilton breaks track record once again
Once again, Lewis Hamilton breaks the track record. That is the fourth time in two days. He goes round in 1:33.108, which is surely going to be good enough for pole.
Hamilton breaks track record once again
Once again, Lewis Hamilton breaks the track record. That is the fourth time in two days. He goes round in 1:33.108, which is surely going to be good enough for pole.
0:02
Hamilton on pole position, Vettel second Valtteri Bottas is third, with Daniel Ricciardo fourth and Kimi Raikkonen fifth.
Well, I got 1,2,3 right and if they finish like that tomorrow, even better.....
Hamilton on pole position, Vettel second Valtteri Bottas is third, with Daniel Ricciardo fourth and Kimi Raikkonen fifth.
Well, I got 1,2,3 right and if they finish like that tomorrow, even better.....
0:10
Highly unlikely to win the title on Sunday - Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is asked whether he is going to become the world champion tomorrow.
He says: "It is highly unlikely that that will be the case. Sebastian Vettel did a great job to get his car back up there."
"Sebastian is right there and unless he makes a silly mistake, which is unlikely - he is a four-time world champion - we will see it going on."
Highly unlikely to win the title on Sunday - Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is asked whether he is going to become the world champion tomorrow.
He says: "It is highly unlikely that that will be the case. Sebastian Vettel did a great job to get his car back up there."
"Sebastian is right there and unless he makes a silly mistake, which is unlikely - he is a four-time world champion - we will see it going on."
Provisional top 10 on the grid
The lad is going to have to get his finger out tomorrow to get me some points.
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
- Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
- Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
- Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
- Esteban Ocon (Force India)
- Carlos Sainz (Renault)
- Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
- Sergio Perez (Force India)
- Felipe Massa (Williams)
The lad is going to have to get his finger out tomorrow to get me some points.
Yet another record for Lewis Hamilton
He already has the most pole positions of all time, now he has the clear lead in the all-time number of front row places as well.
He already has the most pole positions of all time, now he has the clear lead in the all-time number of front row places as well.
And I thought that Lewis was going to be some super "Rap" star after his F1 career, but here he is quoting a line from a Garth Brooks Country song "dancing with the wind." from That Summer. Yeehaw.
Tony.
Tony.
Hamilton's US GP title bid build-up
Summary
- Race at 20:00 BST
- Hamilton on pole, Vettel 2nd, Bottas 3rd
- Lewis Hamilton will win a fourth world title if he wins and Vettel finishes lower than fifth
21:42
This probably won't please Daniel Ricciardo. A massive case of what might have been for the Australian, who is out with an engine failure.
This probably won't please Daniel Ricciardo. A massive case of what might have been for the Australian, who is out with an engine failure.
Lap 26
Engine problems for Alonso, who is out
"I can't believe it another six or eight points (gone)," says a devastated Fernando Alonso just before pushed back into the McLaren garage.
Another engine problem, yet another one this season for the unlucky Spaniard, and that is him done for the day.
Engine problems for Alonso, who is out
"I can't believe it another six or eight points (gone)," says a devastated Fernando Alonso just before pushed back into the McLaren garage.
Another engine problem, yet another one this season for the unlucky Spaniard, and that is him done for the day.
Lap 50 of 56
Lewis Hamilton is now nearly 14 seconds clear of Kimi Raikkonen and closing in on his ninth win of the season and his fifth in six races.
Meanwhile, the stewards, unsurprisingly, are going to look into that move from Marcus Ericsson on Kevin Magnussen.
Lewis Hamilton is now nearly 14 seconds clear of Kimi Raikkonen and closing in on his ninth win of the season and his fifth in six races.
Meanwhile, the stewards, unsurprisingly, are going to look into that move from Marcus Ericsson on Kevin Magnussen.