Why Hamilton's Friday pace advantage is deceptive
Lewis Hamilton might have topped second practice for the US Grand Prix by three tenths, but that advantage is effectively negated by a tow he received on his best lap. That's not to say Ferrari is now favourite, but it certainly shouldn't be discounted
Lewis Hamilton rates Austin as one of his three strongest circuits, the others being Silverstone and the Hungaroring. His record supports that, winning five out of the seven grands prix held at the Circuit of the Americas since the United States Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 2012.
A glance at Friday's timesheets is entirely in keeping with this, given Hamilton was fastest and three tenths of a second faster than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
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