Image source, Getty Images

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, winner of this race last year, has never gone a complete season in his career without either a pole or a victory.

He led 684 laps last year, but has managed just one this season, which was in Singapore. His chances of ending his victory drought look bleak as he start's today's race from the pit-lane.

Image source, AFP

The Red Bull drivers were in demand on Saturday with Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo getting a basketball lesson from San Antonio Spur point guard Tony Parker.

Bill Mahar, external: I say no to the idea of three-car Formula 1 teams... it's going to destroy the mojo of #F1.

Justin Bayliss, external: Everything else in the world is shrinking , so why not the number of teams? Just get rid of team tactics!!!

Vampire Echidna, external: No, it's not a good idea to have three cars. It would lessen the chance of teams getting on the podium if one team dominates.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Fernando Alonso is sixth, one place behind the fifth he seems to have made his own grid slot over the last few years with Ferrari. Alonso explained that the team have had to tune down his engine a little to try to ensure it lasts and avoid the sort of penalty that has led to Sebastian Vettel starting this race from the pit lane for taking a sixth engine. 'We were a couple of tenths down on the engine because we have some limitations there after the Monza engine failure,' Alonso said. 'In fact we were discussing last week using the sixth engine and starting from the pit lane like Red Bull will, or using a very old engine with a little bit less power but at least we wouldn't need to recover places. We chose the second option, so probably we are missing a little bit of performance here and there.'

"Alonso said the aim was to ensure he used the best available engine in the final race in Abu Dhabi. 'If we can manage here and Brazil, then we must not have a penalty in Abu Dhabi because it is double points. We have a better engine available. We need to put the better one in Abu Dhabi, so we'll manage these races the best we can. I think we'll be OK. I'd prefer to start sixth, a couple of tenths down because of power, rather than at the back and try to recover because it is difficult to overtake.'"

With Marussia and Caterham in administration. There will only be 18 cars at this race, the fewest at any event since the 2005 Monaco GP (when BAR were excluded for 2 races for an illegal fuel tank).

It means that of all the three new teams given entries for the 2010 season (HRT were the third), all of them will have disappeared in less than five years.

Here's today's grid with McLaren's Jenson Button dropping five places from fifth to 12th after picking up a penalty for changing his gearbox.

Image source, Getty Images

"I think we have to target at least the Williams in front of us and give it the best fight we can," says Daniel Ricciardo, who was donning a Red Bull liveried Stetson. "I'm ready for it."

Image source, Getty Images

Talking of Daniel Ricciardo, here's a shot of the Australian posing with the latest VIP guest to enjoy Red Bull hospitality this weekend. Yesterday actor Keanu Reeves and Pamela Anderson of Baywatch fame popped in. Today, it's American hurdler Lolo Jones.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"On performance so far, the US Grand Prix looks as if it will split fairly quickly into three races for the leading positions - the one between the Mercedes drivers, the one between the two Williams drivers behind them and then the one between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. But perhaps Daniel Ricciardo in fifth place can mix it with the Williams drivers, especially Felipe Massa, who qualified only 0.039secs ahead of him. 'Generally we're pretty happy with that,' the Red Bull driver said. 'We're really close to Felipe and it's encouraging for the race.'"

Image source, Getty Images

Nico Rosberg has finished second nine times this season, more than any F1 driver ever before in any year. To put that into context, two-time world champion Jim Clark only finished second once in his whole career.

Image source, Getty Images

Nico Rosberg is definitely the happier of the two Mercedes drivers - and sounds like he has the bit between his teeth. "It was a great day yesterday and I look forward to today," he said. "It should be good."

With the constructors' championship won by Mercedes, Rosberg added: "The shift is thinking about myself now. The battle between us two has always been aggressive and that is not going to change."

Image source, Getty Images

The drivers' parade is done and dusted, with some cool vintage cars providing the transport.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, in ripped jeans and chunky gold chain, said: "I'm hoping my brakes will be OK. It's going to be a good race and I hope we can put a show on for people."

On starting second on the grid, Hamilton added: "From history here I know for the last two races that the left hand side is slightly worse."

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Quite often, when Lewis Hamilton has had a disappointment, he slips into an uncommunicative mood and his Saturday evening news conference is short and monosyllabic. But in Austin, despite the brake problems that afflicted his qualifying and led to him being nearly 0.4secs off team-mate Nico Rosberg, he was relaxed and chatty. Hamilton had looked quicker than Rosberg all weekend until the second part of qualifying and he seems confident that if the team can solve the front brake temperature imbalance that led to lock-ups in qualifying he can take the fight to Rosberg in the race. 'I'm going out to try to win the race,' he said. 'The true gap if neither of us have issues is not going to be that big. I just hope we are able to fight and we get to have a battle, that it's not Turn One and then it's decided."

Alongside that question, we're also running a vote this evening. We want to know if you support the idea of three-car Formula 1 teams?

Voting is simple. Head to the top-right side of the page and make your choice or tweet #Yes or #No to @bbcsport.

The vote will close at 19:50 GMT and results will appear on this page shortly after. Terms and conditions are available here.

Image source, Getty Images

So can this man pull it out of the bag and win his fifth successive race to further stretch his lead over Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg? Or will Rosberg show us what he is made of and defend robustly from Lewis Hamilton at the front?

Fire over your race predictions, with reasons why, using the #bbcf1 hashtag, texting 81111 (UK only) or by leaving a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"The US Grand Prix has been a weekend dominated by matters other than the world championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with the financial state of the sport at the forefront of discussions and tempers beginning to fray following the collapse of the Marussia and Caterham teams.

But for the next two hours or so that will be put to the back of people's minds, and it will be Hamilton v Rosberg again. Rosberg, 17 points behind Hamilton, has one thing in mind only. How vital is it for you to win, Eddie Jordan asked him on Saturday afternoon? 'Rather vital,' he said with a smile. 'How would you see it, Eddie? It veers towards the vital side, wouldn't you say?'"

Image source, AP

With Antiques Roadshow and The X Factor results your options on the telly this evening, Monday morning and the sight of your desk probably couldn't come soon enough. But this Sunday evening is different, because we've got some racing to get stuck into.

Yep, I've got live text and audio coverage of the United States Grand Prix from the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. And with Lewis Hamilton leading Nico Rosberg by 17 points, with 100 remaining, the championship battle is very much on.

Image source, Reuters

Brake issues halted Lewis Hamilton's charge to pole position for today's United States Grand Prix as title rival Nico Rosberg clinched the best starting spot on the grid.

However, it wasn't all bad as Hamilton qualified second, which is where he started in 2012 before going on to pass Sebastian Vettel and win the race.

If the team have found a solution to his brake troubles overnight, we will have an almighty battle for victory on our hands...