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ESPN staff
Four rounds of the 2018 Formula One season remain and Lewis Hamilton looks set to win his fifth drivers’ crown at this weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.
The Mercedes driver’s performances since retiring from the Austrian Grand Prix in July have been stunning, winning six of the eight grands prix since and finishing second in the other two he didn’t win. Hamilton now holds a 67-point lead over Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ championship and another one-two for Mercedes on Sunday — with Hamilton coming home ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas — will hand Hamilton a fifth world title regardless of where Vettel finishes.
What time does it start and how can I watch?
This weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix is set to get underway at 1:10 PM local time, 7:10 PM BST and 2:10 PM Eastern.
For U.S. viewers, all of this weekend’s sessions are live on ESPN and ABC (all times Eastern):
Friday, October 19
Practice 1 – Friday, Oct. 19, 10:55 AM – ESPNU
Practice 2 – Friday, Oct. 19, 2:55 PM – ESPNU
Saturday, October 20
Practice 3 – Saturday, Oct. 20, 1:55 PM – ESPNEWS
Qualifying – Saturday, Oct. 20, 4:55 PM – ESPNEWS
Sunday, October 21
Race – Sunday, Oct. 21, 1:30 PM – ABC
Encore – Sunday, Oct. 21, 7:30 PM – ESPN2
Encore – Monday, Oct. 22, 12:30 AM – ESPNEWS
UK viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Check local listings for all other territories.
How can Hamilton win the title this weekend?
Hamilton needs to outscore Vettel by eight points in Austin to win the title. F1 hands out points to the top ten finishers — 25 for first, 18 for second, 15 for third, 12 for fourth, 10 for fifth, eight for sixth, six for seventh, four for eighth, two for ninth and one for tenth.
Hamilton will win the title if the following results occur at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday:
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Hamilton 1st, Vettel 3rd or lower
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Hamilton 2nd, Vettel 5th or lower
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Hamilton 3rd, Vettel 7th or lower
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Hamilton 4th, Vettel 8th or lower
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Hamilton 5th, Vettel 9th or lower
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Hamilton 6th, Vettel fails to score
If Hamilton finishes seventh or lower then the championship fight will go to the Mexican Grand Prix, which takes place a week after the U.S. Grand Prix.
What else to look out for?
The battle for the drivers’ championship looks to be over but the fight for seventh — the ‘best of the rest’ spot behind Formula One’s leading three teams — looks set to go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi. Just four points separates five drivers with four rounds to go.
Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg all sit on 53 points with Fernando Alonso just three points behind. Esteban Ocon — who is still without a drive for 2019 — is four points behind Force India teammate Perez.
In terms of outright performance, Force India and Haas appear to have the advantage over their midfield rivals as we approach the final races of 2018 but with the midfield fight so tight and unpredictable, it’s impossible to call who is going to come out on top.
http://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/25023944/2018-united-states-grand-prix-does-start-how-watch
