How United States Grand Prix qualifying unfolded

Lando Norris, was out qualifed by his team-mate, Carlos Sainz to start P8. Was he happy with his qualifying lap?

He said: "We made some good improvements. The wind favoured us more - and we took advantage and we're in a strong position, but the wind goes back the other way tomorrow. Tricky race tomorrow. I couldn't have done a lot better."

Meanwhile Daniel Ricciardo said he would pip Norris at the start, hearing this news, Norris said: "Trying to be clever, isn't he - trying to get in my head. I'll brake test him or something."

George Russell is asked the same question of Hamilton, and as a Mercedes academy driver, he's spent some time in the garages with him.

He says: "Similar to Lando. Definitely somebody who I’ve looked up to for a while, since I’ve been wanting to become a Formula 1 driver but especially in the last couple of years.

"I’ve gained a huge amount of respect for him, seeing him within the team.

"I used to think he just relied on his natural talent to jump in the car and do the business but he puts a huge amount of effort in and the attention to detail he goes into is massive.

"I did learn a lot from him in the years I spent with Mercedes, so yeah, definitely respect and admire what he’s achieved."

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Lando Norris said: "I guess he’s a guy who I’ve always looked up to since I was young. A driver who I’ve loved to watch. I’ve been very excited to watch a lot of his races since I started watching F1 when I was six or seven years old.

"So, I’ve kind of not been on the journey but I’ve been able to watch a lot of the races and it gives a bit of… I wouldn’t say belief or faith but it gives a bit of confidence knowing that, or hoping to go into the future and emulate him in a way – but like Max said, the equipment’s very different to when he joined Formula One, when he was with McLaren.

"So some things aren’t going to be exactly the same; it’s not possible to do the same as other drivers – but there are a lot of things that he’s extremely good at and I would like to improve on and be as good as him on, so yeah, a guy and a driver who’s inspired me and who I’ve looked up to since I was very young."

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Rachel T: Well done Bottas - but you’d be extra daft to even THINK of writing off Hamilton!

Kayleigh: Yessss wooohooo, get in Bottas!

This week some of the younger drivers were asked what Lewis Hamilton means to them, since he's on the verge of becoming the second most successful F1 driver.

Max Verstappen said: "From my side, unfortunately I haven’t really had the time to compete with him that much. I mean, just a few races.

"Most of the time we didn’t have equal material but he was always clearly the better of the two within the team. And then, when you have the best car out there, of course you can win the Championship. It’s amazing, of course, to go for your sixth World Championship."

F1 world champion Damon Hill, who isn't at the circuit this weekend, responds to Hamilton's dispirited comments earlier...

A very elated Sebastian Vettel starts second on the grid tomorrow. He says: "Congratulations to Valtteri. It was very exciting because we were all so close. In my final run we were already a little bit down. I had two decent laps.

"We hope to have a good start off the line which will be crucial. We are on the medium tyre with the others, so nobody has a advantage there so we will have a busy race tomorrow."

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That would have been a cruel joke if it wasn't Valtteri. But I get the feeling from the tone in his engineer's voice that he really does feel proud of his driver when he succeeds.

Of Valtteri Bottas' five pole positions this year, he's only managed to convert one of them into a victory, and that was in Azerbaijan.

However, he has won two other races this year without starting on pole. In Australia he started second on the grid, and in Japan he started P3.

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The last time a Mercedes, Ferrari and a Red Bull (in no particular order) started in the top three was in Hungary when Max Verstappen took his first pole position.

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Max Verstappen, who qualified P3: "I think for us on this track to be that competitive to get that result is very good. Qualifying was just very tight.

"I think normally we are good in the race, and also this time we were good and competitive in qualifying. I think gives us a lot more hope for tomorrow."

There isn't one driver who wants Max Verstappen to start behind them on the grid...

I believe yesterday was Boris Johnson's 100th day as Prime Minister.

The young Brit's highest qualifying position this year was P14 in both Belgium and Italy a few races ago.

But he says overall it's been a season of learning and he will be a better driver next year: "I think there’s things I’ve been happy with, things I haven’t been… just experience really.

"The little things that you only improve on, race by race: understanding the tyres; the starts.

"It’s pretty tricky starting at the back of the grid, with all the cars around, a massive lack of downforce. Even less downforce than what we’ve got, let’s say.

"Just little bits and bobs here and there. I think I’ll definitely be a better driver into next year."

He certainly did boss it. Paul Di Resta claims it was all down to the coffee he bought the Finn this morning.

Anyone got the Eastenders theme tune in their head now?

Charles Leclerc sounds like he doesn't really know what's going on. He qualified P4 and says: "I don’t really know to be honest, I am the only one to improve which shows I was lacking a bit of running and I got speed a bit too late but I can’t explain why nobody else could improve.

"We will see on my side we had to change the power unit, so not as much as an advantage as we had before we are still quick down the straights."

A very unhappy, and disappointed Lewis Hamilton is speaking to the media. He says: "It's nothing to do with the car I just didn't put the laps together today and the car had the capability to be on the front row and it was my fault."

Asked about whether he's still confident for the championship, he says: "Honestly I'm not trying to think about right now, I'm just trying to digest what happened and think about tomorrow."