The United States Grand Prix might be the race in which Lewis Hamilton secures the title for this F1 season. If everything goes well for the Brit, he could solve all the dilemmas surrounding his no.1 place in the standings. But that won’t be easy, especially since his only opponent in the title race, Valtteri Bottas, took the pole position during today’s training session. Hamilton will start fifth, with his biggest rivals in front of him.
Preview
Bottas took the pole with 0.012 seconds edge over Sebastian Vettel. Unlike other drivers, the Fin wasn’t particularly dominant in the opening practices. Yet, he saved the best for the last, outracing Vettel and Verstappen, who were right behind him. Bottas is solid when having an open track in front of him, and we all saw that the Mercedes’ driver excellently controls the pace and the flow of the event.
Vettel was good throughout the entire weekend, and he even posted the best result during one practice. In the worst-case scenario, he ended up among the top three places, not allowing other rivals to have much better time on the track. Ferrari’s pace is getting better and better, and this would be another great chance for the Prancing Horse to measure the difference between them and the Silver Arrows. One other thing. According to several sources, the relationship between Vettel and Leclerc is better than before, and the two are slowly calming down the tensions.
Leclerc was fourth behind Max Verstappen, but he did have to leave the third practice session because of smoke, which appeared from his engine. The guy who won five of the previous six pole positions was trying to continue in the same manner, but simply, the vehicle couldn’t do more.
Verstappen was best at the second official training, and he likes this track. Even though some believe that his style isn’t fitting for the Circuit of the Americas, the young Dutchman showed differently.
And finally, Lewis Hamilton will start from the place no.5. The champion had several mistakes during the qualifications, which is why he ended up this low. His pace was very good, and overall the Brit would probably get that first place if it weren’t for those errors.
Previous Races
Kimi Raikkonen was the last winner here, as he posted a triumph while driving for Ferrari during the previous campaign. Verstappen was behind him, and Hamilton ended third. However, when looking at the overall score here, Hamilton has 6 triumphs, and is dominant at COAT. He is the only active driver with multiple wins here. Prior to Kimi’s success, he had 4 straight himself.
Prediction
We just can’t see Lewis outside the top three places in Austin. This is his track, the one where he feels comfortable and challenged by the fact that it is a bit different than other ones in the caravan. BetXChange’s odds are at 0.35, and that is pretty good, having in mind the risks. Now, for all of you who like more challenging bets, take our advice and go with Hamilton’s win, because we just can’t miss the offer from our bookie. The odds on this suggestion are 3.40. It is definitely worth trying, particularly when we see that he likes this track and that he always performs well in the USA.
