Austin Texas - Lewis Hamilton will be aiming for a big win in Texas this weekend, even if the Formula One starting grid is the smallest he has ever known it with the absence of backmarker teams Marussia and Caterham.
The 29-year-old Mercedes driver can become the first British driver to win 10 races in a single season and join Nigel Mansell and the late Jim Clark as the only Britons to win five races in succession.
Another triumph at the Circuit of the Americas, where he won the inaugural race in 2012, would also set him apart from his compatriots with 32 victories - one more than the record he currently shares with 1992 champion Mansell.
But most important of all, Hamilton can land another big psychological blow on German team mate and title rival Nico Rosberg who is 17 points adrift with 100 still to be won from the last three races.
Hamilton loves the Texas circuit, whereas Rosberg has mixed feelings about it, and arrives with Mercedes on a high after wrapping up the constructors' title in Sochi.
The intention is to turn the focus back to the track after a gloomy week for the sport dominated by talk of financial crisis and teams going into administration, while seriously injured French driver Jules Bianchi is ever-present in everyone's thoughts.
“We still have three races left to decide the Drivers' Championship - starting in Austin, which is one of the best weekends of the year,” said the Briton this week.
“A lot of the American side of my family come to the race, plus I won the first ever Formula One Grand Prix at the circuit back in 2012, so it's a special one for me.
“I really enjoy going there and I'm looking forward to another great race - hopefully ending up with another Stetson hat on the top step of the podium.”
Rosberg's record is less happy, with the German's best finish in Austin a ninth place last year when Hamilton was fourth.
“It's still all to play for... and I won't be giving up the fight until the flag drops in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “Hopefully we can keep the entertainment going right to the end for the fans out there enjoying the contest.”
DRIVER DUEL MOVES UP A GEAR
With the constructors' title out of the way, the driver duel will move up a gear even if mathematically it is still a three-way battle.
Red Bull's Australian Daniel Ricciardo, the only driver other than the Mercedes duo to win races this year, is 92 points adrift of Hamilton but as good as ruled out.
So too is quadruple world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel, last year's race winner, who is in danger of collecting an engine penalty that will see him starting from the pitlane in Austin.
“I think the reality is that Sebastian will take a sixth engine in Austin because it's inevitable he's going to have to use it,” team principal Christian Horner said after Russia. “I don't think this engine can really go too much further.”
“STUPID” RULE
It could be that the German does very little mileage before the race to save the new engine, something that makes him just as unhappy as the fans will be.
“The rule is completely stupid,” he said. “So the people turn on the television and see a driver who just stands around and has nothing to do.”
Mercedes-powered Williams should be in the mix, however, with Valtteri Bottas on a fine run of form.
At the back, there will be the empty spaces where Marussia and Caterham usually line up after both teams went into administration within the space of a week. That leaves just 18 cars, the smallest number since 2005.
It also gives Sauber, who have yet to score this season, marginally more of a chance of regaining ninth place from Marussia in what is almost a home race for Mexican Esteban Gutierrez.
“I am looking forward to having great support from our fans there, which gives me extra motivation,” he said. “The track in Austin is one of my favourites, I love driving there.” -Reuters
THE SEASON SO FAR
Australian Grand Prix - March 16
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg led from start to finish as rivals dropped out with mechanical problems and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was controversially disqualified from second place over new fuel rules. Pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton and world champion Sebastian Vettel both retired early, leaving Rosberg victorious by a wide margin. McLaren's Danish debutant Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button in a McLaren took the remaining podium places.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 25 points, 2. Kevin Magnussen 18, 3. Jenson Button 15
Malaysian Grand Prix - March 30
Hamilton led the first Mercedes one-two in 59 years. He streaked away from pole and was never pressured. Team-mate Rosberg was second with Vettel third. It was the first time both Mercedes drivers have led the field since 1955, when the German marque departed the sport before returning in 2010 and now confirming themselves as the team to beat in F1's new era. The win was Hamilton's first since Hungary last July.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 43 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 25, 3. Fernando Alonso 24
Bahrain Grand Prix - April 6
Hamilton and Rosberg repeated their one-two in Malaysia after a thrilling wheel-to-wheel duel as Hamilton equalled the legendary Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio's record of 24 Grand Prix victories. Sergio Perez gave Force India just their second ever podium finish in third. Ricciardo, 13th on the grid, continued his impressive start for Red Bull with fourth.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 61 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 50, 3. Nico Hulkenberg 28
Chinese Grand Prix - April 20
Hamilton sealed his first hat-trick of F1 wins and led Mercedes to their third straight one-two finish, 18 seconds ahead of Rosberg, with Fernando Alonso third. Ricciardo outran his team-mate Vettel for fourth. But there was a bizarre finish when Hamilton was inadvertently shown the chequered flag early, meaning that the race was later declared over after 54 laps instead of the 56 completed.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 79 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 75, 3. Fernando Alonso 41
Spanish Grand Prix - May 11
Hamilton took control of the title race when he made it four wins in a row by grabbing a heart-stopping victory. He finished just 0.6 seconds ahead of Rosberg. Ricciardo took third ahead of Vettel, who had started from 15th. The win was Hamilton's first in Spain and the 26th of his career. Finn Valtteri Bottas finished fifth for the resurgent Williams team.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton - 100 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 97, 3. Fernando Alonso 49
Monaco Grand Prix - May 25
Rosberg started on pole and claimed a faultless victory for Mercedes to regain the championship lead. The 28-year-old came home 9.2 seconds clear of Hamilton, who coped with loss of vision in one eye as he held off Ricciardo's Red Bull in the closing laps to take second. Alonso finished fourth for Ferrari.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 122 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 118, 3. Fernando Alonso 61
Canadian Grand Prix - June 8
Ricciardo ended Mercedes's dominant run as he won the first Grand Prix of his career in Montreal. The 24-year-old Australian took advantage of power problems that forced Rosberg into second place and saw Hamilton retire. The race on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was also marred by a high-speed collision between Perez and Felipe Massa of Williams, although neither was seriously hurt. Vettel finished third ahead of Button.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 140 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 118, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 79
Austrian Grand Prix - June 22
It was back to business as usual as the Grand Prix circus returned to Austria for the first time in 11 years. Another Mercedes double with Rosberg dominant and Hamilton in second, leaving him 29 points behind the German in the overall standings. Bottas made it onto his first ever podium in what turned out to be a disastrous home race for Red Bull. For Mercedes, it was a seventh win in eight races.
Standings: 1 Nico Rosberg - 165 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 136, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 83
British Grand Prix - July 6
Hamilton delighted a 120,000 crowd at Silverstone with victory as Rosberg suffered his first non-finish of the season, due to gearbox problems, to reduce the German's lead in the title race to just four points. Hamilton came home 30 seconds clear of Bottas, who started from 14th on the grid. It was Hamilton's second home win, his fifth of the season and the 27th of his career, drawing him level with fellow-Briton and three-time champion Jackie Stewart in the record books. Ricciardo finished third.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 165 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 161, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 98.
German Grand Prix - July 20
Rosberg won his first home Grand Prix to increase his lead in the standings to 14 points ahead of Hamilton, who took third after a battling drive from 20th. Bottas took second for Williams' 300th podium finish. A dramatic race was marred by an opening lap collision with Felipe Massa's Williams somersaulting into the air.
Standings: Nico Rosberg - 190 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 176, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 106
Hungarian Grand Prix - July 27
Ricciardo charged to his second Formula One win for Red Bull, as a drenched track caused chaos among world championship leaders. Ricciardo came first ahead of Alonso in a race which saw Hamilton finish third after ignoring team orders to let championship leader Rosberg go by.
Standings: Nico Rosberg - 202 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 191, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 131
Belgian Grand Prix - August 24
Ricciardo posted his third win with a bold and well-judged drive but all the headlines were hogged by an incident on lap two, when Hamilton suffered a puncture following a collision with Rosberg in a contentious incident that added further spice to the former friends' fractious relationship and left Hamilton trailing Rosberg by 29 points.
Standings: Nico Rosberg - 220 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 191, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 156
Italian Grand Prix - Sept 7
Hamilton refused to brood on his team-mate's behaviour in Belgium and bounced back in the best style possible by outclassing Rosberg in Monza. He recovered from a poor start which saw him drop to fourth from pole but Rosberg, despite looking set to extend his lead, instead twice buckled under pressure and locked up twice at the first chicane while leading Äthe second time allowing Hamilton to seize first place - and ended up 3.1 seconds adrift in second place.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg - 238 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 216, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 166
Singapore Grand Prix - September 21
Hamilton regained the lead in the drivers' world championship when he capitalised on Rosberg's reliability problems to claim a dramatic victory. Hamilton led almost throughout from pole position to dominate before and after a Safety Car intervention had reduced his lead and forced him to attack again in the closing stages. Rosberg had a nightmare as he had to start from the pit lane but retired after 14 of the 61 laps.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton - 241 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 238, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 181
Japanese Grand Prix - October 5
Hamilton won but there were no celebrations as the race which took place in dreadful weather conditions was overshadowed by the sickening crash that left Frenchman Jules Bianchi fighting for his life with a severe head injury, just days after the 25-year-old had been talking about his hopes of driving for Ferrari. Bianchi was knocked unconscious in a high-speed crash into a recovery vehicle which was trying to remove Adrian Sutil's stricken Sauber, which had crashed at the same spot on the circuit a lap earlier.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton - 266 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 256, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 193
Russian Grand Prix - October 12
Lewis Hamilton reeled off his fourth consecutive victory to extend his lead in the drivers' title race and secure Mercedes' maiden triumph in the constructors' championship at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix. The 29-year-old Briton, starting from his 38th pole position, cruised to the 31st success of his career to draw level with fellow-Englishman Nigel Mansell in the record books, finishing the race 13.657 seconds ahead of Rosberg. Just a week after Jules Bianchi's life-threatening accident in the storm-hit Japanese Grand Prix, the race was preceded by tributes to support his fight for life in hospital in Yokkaichi.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton - 291 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 274, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 199
AFP