F1 US GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2024 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix
Formula 1 returns from its mini-break with a trip to the Circuit of the Americas, kick-starting the next triple-header.
With off-track headlines again dominating ahead of the weekend, it was Max Verstappen who took victory in the Sprint as Carlos Sainz edged out Lando Norris for second on the last lap.
But Norris set a sublime lap to take an unexpected pole for the main event, albeit with the assistance of a crash for George Russell which brought an early end to qualifying.
Who will win? The United States Grand Prix gets under way at 8pm BST.
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"Damn, this is far back," Hamilton says over team radio, sitting in 17th place.
Starting tyres: Stroll, Colapinto, Hamilton, Lawson and Russell all start on the hard tyres, everyone else is on medium tyres. So, even warfare at the front as all of the top 12 start on the yellow-walled rubber.
Norris, Russell, Sainz and Verstappen were nearly late for the national anthem - the first three had to leg it down the pitlane, Russell on a scooter.
That grid is being cleared to leave the drivers and their teams to make final preparations. Now for the serious business.
National anthem time: The Star-Spangled Banner is sung out by two sets of choirs from The University of Texas Longhorn Singers - one on the starting grid and the other on the observation tower. 5/10, very restrained for the Americans.
Almost everyone expects this to be a two-stopper contest and that nobody will touch the soft tyres, but how will the strategy unfold? Look no further, we have you covered there too.
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, receives his Pirelli Pole Position Award from Pole Vaulter Armand Duplantis
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
So, what can we expect from this US GP? Norris is on pole with title rival and sprint race winner Verstappen alongside him on the front row, but is the bigger threat directly behind them? There's a case for Ferrari being the biggest danger today. Here's the full story.
The scene is set at the front of the grid.
The pitlane is closed and those 19 grid starters are rolled into their starting slots. Most drivers immediately head for a shady spot to avoid the hot conditions in the sunshine - air temperature is up at 27.2C and the track temperature is 46.2C which, for now, is similar to the sprint race yesterday.
Lawson starts from the back of the grid following a previously planned entire power unit change to his RB, while Zhou has taken a five-place grid drop for an engine element change, but it is effectively for free given he qualified last anyway.
Full US GP starting grid: 1. Norris 2. Verstappen 3. Sainz 4. Leclerc 5. Piastri 6. Gasly 7. Alonso 8. Magnussen 9. Perez 10. Tsunoda 11. Hulkenberg 12. Ocon 13. Stroll 14. Albon 15. Colapinto 16. Bottas 17. Hamilton 18. Zhou 19. Lawson Pitlane: Russell
Let's wrap up the big talking points as we build up to this one. The big news is Russell will start from the pitlane after Mercedes needed to make a number of changes to his car following his heavy qualifying crash. No fewer than 24 major components were changed, meaning he broke parc ferme rules. Well, less broke and more obliterated.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Polesitter Norris is more than ready for this one, as he is first out of the pitlane with a practice start nailed as soon as the green light showed at pit exit. Is that a sign of things to come?
Hello one and all! We've had practice, we've had sprint quali, we've had the sprint and we've had grand prix quali. Now it is time for the main event: the United States GP. The pitlane is open and the cars are on the way to the grid.
By: Autosport Staff
