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There was plenty of chat ahead of this weekend that Sebastian Vettel wouldn't bother with qualifying because of the penalties for taking a sixth engine - but the German is out and about and going pretty quickly. The four-time world champion clocks a 1:39.621 for the ninth quickest time.

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Nico Rosberg is our new leader, the German clocking a 1:38.599, 0.196 seconds clear of Lewis Hamilton with Valtteri Bottas third and Felipe Massa fourth.

With 11 minutes to go, 12 of the 18 drivers have set a time. Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel are the only two drivers who have yet to leave the garage.

Kayleigh Gray, external: Nico on pole and Jenson in top 5 would be excellent.

Jeremiah Kariuki, external: Unless there are errors or reliability issues, Lewis Hamilton gets pole. Won't be a shock if one of the Williams take 2nd ahead of Nico!

Robert Houghton, external: Hope one of the McLarens shake up the front row in Austin.

Valtteri Bottas is our new leader now, the Finn clocking a 1:38.811 in the Williams on the medium tyres. Lewis Hamilton then nips ahead, just 0.016 seconds clear. The 2008 world champion is on the medium tyres, too.

Sergio Perez, on the soft tyres, clocks a 1:39.804 to set the early pace, but that is belittled by Nico Rosberg who romps round in a 1:38.848 on the medium tyres. That should be enough to get him into Q2.

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And we're away with Force India's Sergio Perez the first man to head out and about.

Just four minutes until kick off. Don't forget that you can fire over your pole position predictions to us via the #bbcf1 hashtag, 81111 (UK only) or by leaving a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

The BBC Radio 5 live team will be up and running shortly, providing you with commentary throughout qualifying. You can listen to James Allen and the team by clicking the speaker button at the top of this page. You'll also find a highlights tab which has all of the best video from the weekend so far. Enjoy.

Hannah Smith, external: For pole position: my heart says Williams but my head says Mercedes.

Lucas Murrin, external: Funding needs to be fairer for all teams to have a chance of competing, reliance on pay drivers isn't the future.

Dustin Hodges, external: Go Nico go! Texas is behind you! America is behind you! Germany is behind you!

If Lewis Hamilton takes pole today he will equal team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg's tally of eight with two races remaining. The battle for the Pole Position trophy, new for this season and awarded to the best qualifier, will still very much be up for grabs.

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It's been a tough weekend Sebastian Vettel, the reigning four-time world champion. The German, who has been comprehensively beaten by his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo this season, is now paying for the poor reliability that affected him earlier this season.

A sixth power unit change and the penalties that come with it means he will start from the pit-lane on Sunday no matter where he qualifies. The German has been last in all three practice sessions as he focused on race pace. He'll make an appearance in qualifying but it'll be a brief one, as the team look to save mileage on the unit.

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Actor Keanu Reeves, star of Speed and The Matrix trilogy, is in town for qualifying, the 50-year-old popping into the Red Bull garage for a chat with Australian Daniel Ricciardo and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

So who is your tip for pole position? Has Lewis Hamilton got it nailed? Will Nico Rosberg hit back? Can the Williams, who look to be Mercedes closest challengers in Austin, cause a shock and get on the front row? Tweet us using the #bbcf1 hashtag, text 81111 (UK only) or leave a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"The demise of Caterham and Marussia has self-evidently meant that the number of cars that get knocked out in the first and second parts of qualifying will change this weekend - as it is not physically possible to knock out six drivers each time. The rules actually don't specify what happens if the grid drops below 20 cars, but the stewards have done the obvious, and split in half the remaining eight cars that by definition cannot make it into the top 10 shoot-out. So four will be eliminated after Q1 and another four after Q2."

Qualifying is going to be a little bit different this weekend, with Marussia and Caterham's absence meaning we'll have just 18 cars on the grid. Here's Andrew Benson with more on the tweaks...

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Hello and welcome to live coverage of qualifying for the United States Grand Prix. Austin, the live music capital of the world, is our host for round 17 of the Formula 1 World Championship. Let's do this.

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It's been a good, no make that great, weekend for Lewis Hamilton so far. The Briton finished top of the pile in both practice sessions on Friday and did the same in final practice earlier today. Can he make it four out of four with his eighth pole position of the season?

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Qualifying starts at 18:00 GMT with the live text build-up starting at 17:30. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton is the man to beat in qualifying, but can Nico Rosberg pull off a shock when it matters and steal pole? Not long until we find out. See you in a bit.

Catch up on that session here and check out the F1 pages for some cool video and the latest news from the Austin paddock.