Postpublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October 2014
Image source, Nico Rosberg on TwitterNico Rosberg on Twitter:, external Happy Halloween to everyone from me and my engineer Tony!
Summary
Hamilton fastest in second practice, Rosberg 2nd
Lotus' Maldonado and Grosjean spin
Hamilton fastest in first practice, Rosberg 2nd
Marussia & Caterham not in Austin
Bianchi still 'critical but stable'
Postpublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October 2014
Image source, Nico Rosberg on TwitterPostpublished at 14:33 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October 2014
Image source, APAfternoon all. Happy Halloween and a very warm welcome to Texas, the state which gave us cowboy boots, George W Bush and the Circuit of the Americas, host of this weekend's United States Grand Prix.
It's round 17 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship which has been a season-long tussle between Mercedes team-mates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
It's the latter who heads Stateside with the advantage, heading the German by 17 points - but there are still 100 to play for.
Postpublished at 14:28 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October 2014
Image source, Getty ImagesAnd then there were 18.
First Caterham were put in administration. Then rivals Marussia followed suit a few days later. And former FIA president Max Mosley says they "may not be the last".
Both teams won't be in Austin which means we're set for our smallest grid since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix this weekend with just nine teams and 18 cars.
It's not quite as bad as the 2005 United States Grand Prix fiasco, when just six cars took to the grid because of a tyre dispute - but it's hardly the ideal scenario as Formula 1 continues to try to establish itself as a credible sport in the United States.