Lewis Hamilton on pole position for US Grand Prix but Sebastian Vettel on front row

Lewis Hamilton may have to wait to win the Formula One world drivers' championship despite claiming pole position for the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The Briton is joined by Sebastian Vettel on the front row at the Circuit of the Americas and will threaten for the race win on Sunday [22 October].

Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton's Mercedes teammate, will start in third alongside Daniel Ricciardo, while Kimi Raikkonen is fifth. Max Verstappen qualified in sixth but will begin the race at the back of the grid having been hit with a 15-place penalty for the use of a sixth engine this season.

The top 10 is completed by Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez. But the central narrative of the sixth US grand prix in Texas will surround Hamilton's pursuit of a fourth world title. He needs to claim 16 more points than Vettel to take the crown.

"It is highly unlikely that that will be the case," the 31-year-old said of his title aspirations. Sebastian Vettel did a great job to get his car back up there. Sebastian is right there and unless he makes a silly mistake, which is unlikely - he is a four-time world champion - we will see it going on.

"The team have done a great job, the track was very difficult with the wind picking up. But I love this track it is such a fantastic track to drive, I love it. It is always hot in the car, it is just the right temperature today. It is going to be a great race, a tough one, but I'm the best prepared I can be."

Vettel added: "I was happy in the end with the car. We lacked the rhythm in the first sector going into the second, but came good when it mattered. I believe our race pace has been good, especially in qualifying, but well done to Lewis today. It would be good to win the other races as well as this one, but we'll take each day as it comes."