Hamilton must wait for title as Raikkonen wins for first time in 5 years
Alonso, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Leclerc out
And Singapore was an unhappy venue for Lewis Hamilton a year later as well.
Hamilton headed Vettel from the start but a gearbox failure dealt a major blow to the Briton's world title hopes.
The Brit slipped to fourth in the Drivers' Championship, 52 points off the lead and would fail to catch Vettel, finishing 91 points behind him in the final table.
Image source, Getty ImagesA Hamilton error is hard to find. But this was a day to forget for the Brit...
Hamilton, who started fourth behind Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Jenson Button, lost ground at the start, because he had to back out of an attempt to pass the slow-starting Webber.
That dropped Hamilton to eighth place and in his attempt to come back through the field, he collided with Massa when refusing to give up a move around the outside of Turn Seven that was never going to come off.
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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Austin
There are a number of new kerbs around the Circuit of the Americas this weekend, put there mainly because of Max Verstappen’s off-piste activities last year, including the controversial move on the inside of Kimi Raikkonen on the last lap of the race, which gave him third place, from which he was subsequently demoted.
So it was ironic that Verstappen broke his rear suspension in first qualifying hitting one of those kerbs - this one on the exit of Turn 15. Verstappen said he was “amazed” it had happened. But team-mate Daniel Ricciardo said he had been warned to stay off them. “This morning already I saw a few cars use them and I think Max was one of them. I had a look on the data before qualifying to see how much it puts through the car, the impact, and already my engineer advised me not to do that.
"So I was going to stay off them. I remember hitting one last year, on the last lap of qualifying coming out of the last corner, and it knocked the steering and tow out, so even when I used it last year it did something. So it isn’t really worth it, unless it is the last corner where you don’t really care.”
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You have to expect Mercedes to reach three figures by the end of the season.
What do you want to happen? What do you think will happen?
Kiran Mehta: Lewis to be leading from Bottas. Vettel in 5th. Lewis to give Bottas a win back and seal the championship all in one race.
Jeremiah Kariuki: Kimi hasn't gained a place at start of the race this season. I don't see him doing that. He will be busy fighting Bottas instead. Will be a three-way contest for P2 and P3 which possibly Bottas will get P2. Mercedes may give him more performance, to protect Hamilton.
Can Kimi Raikkonen spoil Lewis Hamilton's party today and get a win for Ferrari, before he moves to Sauber for 2019?
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When team-mates tangle... McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton spin off the track together in Canada in 2011.
Hamilton was involved in three separate incidents that day, before he was forced to retire on the final occasion. Here, Hamilton launched an attack on his team-mate, while Button defended and re-joined the track to go on to win the race.
Image source, Getty ImagesNot one of the finest moments of Hamilton's career came at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix, the so-called 'Liegate'.
Jenson Button won the race, and Hamilton was third, but was disqualified after misleading stewards during the race over a safety car period.
McLaren were heavily criticised as it was the third of three scandals in three years, and one of their management team was sacked.
Image source, Getty ImagesAndrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Austin
If only Ferrari had shown the pace they have here in Texas at the previous three races - and not made the mistakes they have etc, etc - the title battle might not have reached such a quick denouement.
The red cars were off the pace in the wet on Friday but were right there from the start of dry running in practice on Saturday and both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen gave Lewis Hamilton a good run for his money in qualifying.
Why the rediscovered pace? Vettel said they had gone back on some updates that had been on the car in previous races. Which did little to diminish the impression of a team that has crumbled just when it mattered.
Image source, Getty ImagesBut who is going to get on to the podium today?
Play along with our game and predict the top three here.
Image source, .How do prepare for the United States Grand Prix? By getting involved in the local culture, of course.
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have been road-testing a special cowboy-styled race suit.
Will both drivers be tilting their hats to Lewis Hamilton's championship at the chequered flag later on today?
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Radio 5 live
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "I’m a little bit worried about the race. We are lacking straight-line speed and we need to fight like lions and have a strategic, clever race. If Vettel has a decent start, he can quickly move up and fight for the win.
"There is a lot of odds against us even though we qualified for pole. We just need to keep our heads down and do a good job. Lewis is in a good place.
We need to be careful. All the media are talking us up and saying he could win the championship this weekend, but we are more sceptical.
"A fifth consecutive title puts him among the all-time greats but let’s keep our feet on the ground and not get carried away."
But that problem in Belgium did not matter eventually.
The world title could be won with three races to spare today, nowhere near as dramatic as Lewis Hamilton's first success, back in 2008 with McLaren.
He won the drivers' title by a point – by overtaking Toyota's Timo Glock on the final corner of the final lap of the final grand prix of the season - in Brazil - to claim the required fifth-place finish he needed and break Felipe Massa's heart.
Image source, Getty ImagesHamilton won the race, but was later disqualified for cutting a chicane and gaining an advantage over Kimi Raikkonen. He received a 25-second penalty, which McLaren took to court, but it wasn't overturned, and Felipe Massa was the new victor of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Image source, Getty ImagesIn his rookie year, Hamilton almost won the world title. But he spun off the track in the race, throwing away his grip on the world championship.
Image source, Getty ImagesSo only a Lewis Hamilton error seems to be standing in his way from becoming a five-time world champion.
You have to go a long way back to see any serious errors, but we've found a few times Hamilton got it wrong, and also times he got it very much right and won the world title...
What do you want to happen? What do you think will happen?
Just Mick: I suspect the front of the USGP is going to be a boring run to a 5th title for Hamilton. Hoping for much more entertainment from the pack behind.
Kashmire DS Hawker: Lewis to of course win tonight and Seb to have USA 2015 repeated on him, but with Kimi claiming 2nd, just for the ultimate pain!
Miranda Lane: I think Lewis will do Lights to Flag Victory today! Then Kimi will be 2nd, Daniel Ric 3rd (podium at last!)..So Brit Lewis Hamilton will be 5 time F1 World Champion #bbcf1, external I'll be listening on 5live too!
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Austin
It’s going to happen some day, that much is clear, but is today that day? Lewis Hamilton starts from pole position for the United States Grand Prix and if he keeps that lead by the end of the race and Sebastian Vettel fails to move up from fifth to second, a fifth world championship will belong to the Mercedes driver.
Hamilton loves this track, and excels at it, so a win and a title here would be appropriate. But things don’t always work like that, and Vettel is determined to salvage as much as pride as possible after a chastening year. The sun is out, the sky is big and blue. It should be a great sporting occasion.
So how can Lewis Hamilton win the title today? This graphic will help you understand what is needed...
Image source, .If Sebastian Vettel does not pick up any points then Lewis Hamilton only needs to come sixth to become the world champion for a fifth time. If it is not won today, Hamilton could then clinch the title in Mexico next week.
And here are the standings at the moment.
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