Hamilton Completes U.S. Grand Prix Practice Sweep

Date: 22 October 2017 - 20:58

News ID: ۴۵۵۷۲

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Formula One title favourite Lewis Hamilton was fastest in final practice at the U.S. Grand Prix on Saturday with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel closing the gap after putting the previous day’s problems behind him.
Hamilton, who can secure a fourth world championship on Sunday if results go his way, dominated Friday’s sessions and completed the sweep with a fastest lap of one minute 34.478 seconds at a cloudy Circuit of the Americas.
The lap was another track record for the Briton, who had set the previous best of 1:34.668 was set in Friday’s second practice. Vettel, 59 points behind in the championship with four races remaining, was right behind however. The German’s best effort was 0.092 slower, setting up the prospect of another close battle between the two for pole position.
Hamilton has won four times in the past five years in Austin and another win will hand him the title if Vettel finishes lower than fifth. Vettel had complained about the ‘jelly-like’ handling of his car on Friday, when he spun off, with Ferrari changing the chassis overnight.