Lewis Hamilton has spun in the Mercedes - and it's a high-speed twirl at Turn Four. It doesn't bring the seven-time world champion to a complete stop, but he's on the radio to the pit wall straight away to say check the tyres and the floor for damage.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

The abrasiveness of the track may well have changed due to that track resurfacing, which will of course have an effect on the tyres, should alleviate the bumps that have become a little bit notorious around this track.

Also, fake gravel has been installed at certain run-off areas and some of those verges narrowed by about 1.5 metres. We've seen that as a bit of a trend that is coming into more and more tracks. Turns 6, 13, 14 and 15 have all experienced that in an effort to try and combat track limits.

Now, you may have to do a double-take this weekend in Austin, as Alpine are running a one-off that looks a exactly the same as a regular McLaren. Pierre Gasly reaches the top of the hill at the first corner and loses the rear, sending his orangey car onto the gravel.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

F1's in a wonderful place.

We've had this mini-break since the last round and it's only heightened the anticipation and the excitement.

We've now got six races to go, three of those are sprints, we've got a new driver on the grid, we've got a championship that's really bubbling up.

We don't know who's going to win, not only the title but any of the remaining six races.

That's a wonderful place for F1 to be in, the excitement around this sport right now is well and truly justified.

Every driver has blown the cobwebs away now and has posted an opening time on the board. After a disappointing performance in Singapore, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are the front two cars in the early stages of this single practice session.

Next up is George Russell, who places his Mercedes above the Ferrari boys with a time of 1:35.860 on the same hard compound.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Austin

Image source, Getty Images

In a statement, the FIA said it "remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport."

Sources close to the situation say the FIA was informed of the device on the Red Bull over the course of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend last month.

Rivals had seen its existence in what are known as open-source component documents that teams have to provide to the FIA about the design of their cars.

The ability to adjust the floor of the car would enable teams to better balance the demands of qualifying and racing.

A team would prefer the car to run lower in qualifying and higher in the race.

Franco Colapinto is out in his Williams, preparing himself for a first taste of a Formula 1 sprint weekend. The Argentine is happily running around on a set of hards but finds the grip lacking, which sends him twitching onto the gravel.

Over at Red Bull, Max Verstappen receives a message from his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, pointing out the three-time world champion knows "what the state of play is this weekend".

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

When Max Verstappen stepped up to speak to the media on Thursday, the three-time world champion was asked whether the changes to car would have an impact on its performance.

"It’s open-source. Everyone can see it," he said.

"For us, it was just an easy tool. When the parts were off, it was easy to adjust. But once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it.

"So, for us it doesn’t change (anything). When I read it, I was thinking about other teams doing it. And then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it in the briefings, it was just an easier tool to adjust stuff.”

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Austin

Image source, Getty Images

Red Bull have confirmed that they have made changes to their car as a result of discussions with governing body the FIA.

Rivals had alerted the FIA to a device in the Red Bull cockpit that they believed could be used to adjust the height of the front of the car's floor.

The concern of rival teams was that this could be used to make changes to the car's set-up between qualifying and races, when they are not allowed.

A Red Bull spokesperson told BBC Sport: "Yes, [the device] exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.

"In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward."

F1 teams are forbidden from making changes to their car's set-up, apart from to the front wing angle, from the start of qualifying, under what are known as parc ferme regulations.

The part in question that could be adjusted was the so-called 'bib' or 'tea-tray', which is the front of the floor in the middle of the car.

Image source, FIA

Ferrari and Williams may feel a little bit left out at COTA, as they're the only two teams who haven't brought a raft of upgrades to the United States Grand Prix this weekend.

McLaren

Front wing, front suspension, front corner (performance), front corner (circuit specific), rear corner (performance), rear corner (circuit specific), beam wing.

Haas

Sidepod inlet, floor body, floor fences, floor edge, rear corner, engine corner, cooling louvres.

Mercedes

Front wing, front suspension, floor edge, sidepod inlet, engine cover, floor fences.

Aston Martin

Front wing, front wing endplate, engine cover, floor body, floor edge, diffuser.

Sauber

Front wing, front suspension. rear suspension, rear corner.

Alpine

Floor body, floor edge, engine cover, rear wing.

Red Bull

Floor edge, engine cover.

RB

Floor body.

Jennie Gow
F1 pit-lane reporter in Austin

It's a glorious day here in Austin, the Circuit of the Americas. You can hear maybe the bands playing in the back, it feels like the music capital of the world, it's such a party atmosphere.

Formula 1 has returned. Thank you, Pope Ferrari.

You only get one dress rehearsal tonight, so off you pop.

Image source, Getty Images

Tyres in middle of the range have been chosen by Pirelli for this year's United States Grand Prix. Teams and drivers can choose from the C2 (hard, white), C3 (medium, yellow) or the C4 (soft, red) compound.

For this weekend's sprint event, the allocation of tyres drops from 13 sets to 12, with two sets of the hards, four mediums and six soft sets available.

Another thing to look out for this year is the fully resurfaced track in Austin, which could have an impact on the tyres. Max Verstappen flagged COTA's bumpy tarmac after his victory in 2023, saying: "It needs to be redone because, at the moment, it feels like it’s better suited to a rally car."

BBC Sounds

Image source, Jennie Gow

Jennie Gow, Harry Benjamin, former McLaren engineer Marc Priestley and BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson are ready for rootin'-tootin' first practice in Austin.

You can listen on Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and at the top of this page using the audio icon.

Alternatively, you can ask BBC Sounds to play United States Grand Prix first practice via most smart speakers.

Image source, Getty Images

Daniel Ricciardo was giving emotional farewell interviews in the paddock after the 62-lap race in Singapore, even though the news regarding his future within the sport had not yet been confirmed.

Cut to four days later and RB announced the Australian would be replaced for the remainder of the season by Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, ending his 2024 campaign six races early.

New Zealander Lawson now has until the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to convince the big bosses that he not only deserves a full-time seat on the grid - RB have yet to confirm who will partner Yuki Tsunoda in 2025 - but that he might also be good enough to take the place of Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Image source, Getty Images

Is the 2024 drivers' championship going to go down to the wire? We hope so. But what does Lando Norris need to do to overhaul Max Verstappen's lead at the top of the standings?

The simple answer is with a total of 180 points available, Norris would have to outscore Verstappen by an average of 8.9 points to secure his maiden title.

BBC Sport has analysed the battle for the Formula 1 crown and answered the key questions you need to know, such as:

• Will certain tracks favour certain teams or drivers?
• What happens if the drivers finish level on points?
• Have eventual world champions come from a long way back before?

Have a read of the story here

With two drivers on the podium in Singapore, McLaren have stayed on top of the constructors' standings and are now leading champions Red Bull by 41 points.

Just like in the drivers' title race, the difference between second and third is 34 points, with Ferrari hoping to jump up into that runners-up spot before the curtain falls in early December.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, gett

While he hasn't won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Max Verstappen is still in control of the drivers' championship with six races (and those sprint events) remaining.

Second-placed Lando Norris sits 52 points behind the Dutchman, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third spot, 34 points away from the McLaren driver's total as we head into the final part of the season.

Nico Hulkenberg scored two points for Haas in Singapore and now finds himself in the top 10 at the expense of Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who now drops to 11th place.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Austin

Image source, Getty Images

Formula 1 is to drop the award of a bonus point for fastest lap from the 2025 season.

The decision, made by the world motorsports council of governing body the FIA, comes in the wake of a controversy over RB’s Daniel Ricciardo taking the point away from title contender Lando Norris in the last race in Singapore.

The FIA was not immediately able to provide the reason for the change being made to a rule that was introduced in 2019.

Image source, Getty Images

We left off in hot and sweaty Singapore on a September weekend with Lando Norris celebrating a dominant victory over title rival Max Verstappen at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

The McLaren driver started on pole position and was untroubled throughout, finishing clear of the Dutchman by over 20 seconds. Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri claimed the final podium place after starting fifth on the grid, overtaking both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the Mercedes after a later pit stop.

There was also personal victory for polesitter Norris last time out, as he managed to stay ahead of the field by the end of the opening lap for the first time in five attempts this season.

However, the extra point for fastest lap was snatched away by Daniel Ricciardo, who bolted on the softs tyres at the end of the race to deny Norris any further gains in the championship.

The helping hand by Red Bull's sister team RB didn't go unnoticed by the FIA...