Hartley posts sixth-fastest time but will start last
In my opinion it is not the right thing. If there is a car behind you it might run into you, but it is more important you don’t get a penalty.
Sebastian Vettel
Kiwi Brendon Hartley will start from the back of the grid in tomorrow morning's Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, regardless of what he does in qualifying.
Hartley and Toro Rosso teammate Pierre Gasly both copped grid penalties for making engine changes.
Hartley clocked the sixth fastest time in wet practice conditions in Texas, with world championship leader Lewis Hamilton topping the timesheets.
Several teams didn't even bother sending their cars out due to the slippery track.
Even in the rain, Mercedes driver Hamilton seems in unbeatable form.
As for Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel’s fading title hopes, another unforced error may doom his chances once and for all.
Hamilton posted the fastest lap in the soggy practice sessions, a race where he can clinch a fifth career championship tomorrow. Hamilton sloshed around the Circuit of the Americas in 1 minute, 47.502 seconds in the morning, then sat out most of the afternoon session when rain again soaked the track.
Vettel was hit with a three-place starting grid penalty for driving too fast under a red flag in the morning session.
The flag came out when Sauber’s Charles Leclerc, who will be Vettel’s teammate next season, spun off the wet track into the grass. When he drove back on, the rear tires spun and dragged gravel on to the track. Race officials stopped the session for several minutes to clean up.
Vettel was in the middle of a lap when the red flag was posted and was penalised for not slowing down quickly enough. That means even if he wins the pole position for tomorrow’s race, he will start in fourth. The best he can likely hope for is that Hamilton has some kind of qualifying calamity.
Vettel violated a rule designed to ensure drivers slow down to safe speeds under a red flag. Similar penalties were applied to Force India’s Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo earlier this season.
This time, it could decide the world championship.
Vettel had to be penalised “to be consistent with previous decisions”, the stewards said.
Vettel met with the stewards before the penalty was assessed and was allowed to explain what he thought happened.
“I think I slowed down,” Vettel said. “I had a good look around to see what’s going on . . . From the inside of the car, I slowed down enough. In my opinion it is not the right thing. If there is a car behind you it might run into you, but it is more important you don’t get a penalty.”
If Hamilton wins, Vettel must finish second to push the championship another week to Mexico City. Any result that leaves Vettel eight or more points behind his rival and Hamilton will win the title. Hamilton is gunning for his sixth win in seven years at the Texas track and his 10th of the season.
The rain that swamped the track was reminiscent of storms in 2015 that shortened qualifying. Hamilton won that year to clinch his third career championship.
The British driver looks on form to do it again. He has a 67-point lead over Germany’s Vettel with four races left. Hamilton has won the Texas race four years in a row and has started no lower than second in that stretch.
The rain kept drivers huddled in their garages for most of the afternoon. Vettel ventured out with out with about 12 minutes left and Hamilton ran only a couple of laps in the final eight minutes, but couldn’t put in a faster time than his morning lap. Mercedes teammate Vallteri Bottas was second fastest on the day, 1.3 seconds behind Hamilton in the morning.
“The weather was miserable this morning; it looked like it was going to dry up going into (practice two) but then all of a sudden the heavens opened again,” Hamilton said.
More rain is forecast for final practice and qualifying. The skies are expected to clear for the race.