Rosburg has big lead for Formula One title

Counting the United States Grand Prix, there are only four races left on the 2016 Formula One calendar, and teams are already working on their cars for 2017.

The race for the drivers’ championship does have the feeling that it’s all over but the shouting. Nico Rosberg leads Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton by a commanding 33 points and could claim the title without winning another race.

Still, it is racing and strange things can happen.

Hamilton has a strong history at Circuit of the Americas, where practice starts Friday. He has won three of the four U.S. Grand Prix races in Austin, but he also picked up a win in 2007, when the race was in its final year in Indianapolis. That gives him four titles and only Michael Schumacher, with five, has won more.

“America has always been a good hunting ground for me,” Hamilton said Thursday. “This is a fantastic track. They did a good job with the design. It’s one of the few newer circuits that really allows good overtaking and following of cars, which is always difficult in Formula One.”

Rosberg’s thoughts: Although he could win his first title by merely finishing second the rest of the way, Rosberg said that is the furthest thing from his mind. He said if he finds himself in second place Sunday, “I will push for the win. All the way. Until the checkered flag.”

Even though Hamilton has been very successful in Austin, Rosberg said, “With the car I have, I can win on any track with Lewis.”

Celebrity watch: If you see someone at the circuit who looks strikingly similar to Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, it’s probably her. Vonn and “fast friend” Lewis Hamilton have been hanging out, and Vonn has tweeted that she’s excited for this weekend and the concerts. She’s scheduled to sign copies of her book “Strong is the New Beautiful” 7 p.m. Friday at Barnes and Noble in the Arboretum.

Relatively speaking: Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo spent half of his Thursday interview trying out different accents. “I feel like I’m better in character,” he joked. Ricciardo did a brief impression of fellow Aussie and former F1 driver Mark Webber and tried out a Texas twang. He concluded the interview by saying, “Thank y’all very much.”

Weather update: The cold front blew through at the track just before noon. The sky turned cloudier and the winds picked up dramatically, but the temperature had dropped only a few degrees by mid-afternoon. The forecast for the weekend remains just about perfect, with highs hovering around the 80-degree mark and lows dipping into the 50s.

Local sideshow: When asked what his favorite Austin experience has been, Williams driver Valterri Bottas of Finland came up with a surprising answer: Hanging out with police in Georgetown for a day and driving a police cruiser. “I got to drive a police car around their training circuit,” Bottas said. “I beat their best lap time, by the way.”

Pricey Austin: American team owner Gene Haas said he was caught off guard a bit by room rates in Austin. “Our hotel is about $500 a night here,” Haas said. “I was a little surprised.” Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner, noting that the F1 schedule takes race teams around the world, remarked: “Austin is the most expensive place for us, and it’s in America, where we’re based.”

Making his exit: Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, announced his retirement last month. “It’s such a sad word, a strange word,” Button said. He said he’s not really retiring from racing, but moving away from the pressure-packed world of Formula One.