10 Key Storylines Ahead of USA Grand Prix
The Circuit of the Americas has hosted only two races since becoming the latest home of the United States Grand Prix in 2012, but has already emerged as a firm favourite among drivers and fans.
The track, arguably the finest produced by architect Hermann Tilke, is defined by several elevation changes, which should make it the ideal setting for the latest chapter of the roller-coaster ride that is the 2014 championship fight between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the Mercedes drivers.
The title tussle will, like at almost every race this season, be the main talking point of the weekend, although there will be plenty of sideshows at the Texas event.
The guessing game involving Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso is likely to continue, while one of the teams involved in the transfer saga will be hoping to continue their recent surge in form.
Meanwhile, an American driver could make his Formula One debut in front of his home crowd, while one team will face a struggle to even arrive at the circuit.
Elsewhere, Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado may be reflecting on their uncomfortable 2013 experiences at the Circuit of the Americas as they prepare for the race weekend.
Here are 10 key storylines ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
Will Lewis Hamilton Take 5 Consecutive Wins for the First Time in His Career?
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Victory in Russia last time out saw Lewis Hamilton equal his personal best record of four consecutive wins.
The initial record was set only earlier this season, with triumphs in Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Spain making up for his retirement from the opening race in Australia.
That particular run was ended in Monaco, where Nico Rosberg's mistake in qualifying shook the British driver out of his rhythm.
The chances of a repeat of that sudden loss of momentum, at a track where he won so emphatically in 2012, are slim, with Hamilton currently driving with so much confidence.
That fifth-straight win surely beckons.
And Put One Hand on the Title?
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Ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Hamilton has a 17-point lead over Rosberg in the drivers' standings.
Another win for the British driver at the Circuit of the Americas would see the gap stretch to at least 24 points with two grands prix remaining.
That margin would allow Hamilton to finish second to his Mercedes teammate in both events and still take the title ahead of Rosberg by three points at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the race which will see double points awarded.
Hamilton can go a long way to banishing the one major question mark hanging over this title battle in the US Grand Prix.
Can Nico Rosberg Go Back to Basics?
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Rosberg's world championship challenge, for much of this season, has been based upon a game plan.
It involved deconstructing his opposition bit-by-bit, taking advantage of their misfortune, playing the long game and, essentially, driving like Nico Rosberg.
That game plan, however, went out the window over the summer break, with the German producing several scruffy performances since the season's resumption and making high-profile errors in Belgium, Italy and, most recently, Russia.
A result of the pressures he finds himself under? Certainly—and Rosberg has panicked by trying to fight fire with fire, participating in a battle he was always unlikely to win.
Starting in Texas, he needs to go back to playing to his own strengths rather than those of Hamilton.
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Will Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso Reveal Their 2015 Destinations?
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It is almost three weeks since Sebastian Vettel's departure from Red Bull at the end of the season was announced, yet the four-time world champion's 2015 destination has still not been confirmed.
German publication Bild (h/t motorsport.com), however, has claimed that Ferrari will finally reveal the signing of the 27-year-old—as well as the exit of Fernando Alonso—prior to the United States Grand Prix.
Whether Alonso, too, could be in a position to announce his plans—which according to BBC Sport's Andrew Benson will either be the signing of a "multi-year deal" with McLaren or a year-long sabbatical—over the race weekend remains to be seen.
A Home Hero in Alexander Rossi?
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Marussia opted to run only one car in the Russian Grand Prix, a gesture made "out of respect" for Jules Bianchi, who continues to fight for his life after a serious crash in Japan earlier this month.
With the team on the brink of their best-ever finish in the constructors' championship, however—they currently sit ninth, above Sauber and Caterham—Marussia, as sporting director Graeme Lowdon told Autosport's Jonathan Noble, "owe it" to Bianchi to maintain their position.
That should see Alexander Rossi, the reserve driver, inherit the Frenchman's seat at the United States Grand Prix.
The Californian was originally entered to deputise for Bianchi in Russia prior to Marussia's decision to pay tribute to their lead driver, but he is likely to make his debut on home soil at the Circuit of Americas, where he participated in the first free practice session for Caterham last season.
Can McLaren Maintain Their Recent Form?
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McLaren enjoyed their best weekend since their double podium finish in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Russia, with Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
The team scored just 21 points in the five races between the German and Singapore grands prix, but have added 32 points in the last two races in Japan and at the Sochi Autodrom.
The Woking-based outfit became the first team to win at the Circuit of the Americas when Lewis Hamilton took the chequered flag in 2012, and although a repeat of that result is highly unlikely, another solid haul of points would cement their position of fifth in the constructors' championship.
Will Caterham Make It to America?
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It now seems a question of when, not if, the Caterham team ceases to exist.
A statement released by the outfit on Wednesday led to confusion over the ownership of the team, while the BBC reported that staff were locked out of their Leafield base the following morning.
With the cars of Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson due to be transported to the United States on Saturday, as per BBC Sport's Andrew Benson, Caterham's preparations for the final three grands prix of 2014 have been severely hampered, leaving them in danger of becoming the first team since Super Aguri in 2008 to withdraw from Formula One during a season.
What a Difference a Year Makes for Sergio Perez
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When he arrived at the 2013 United States Grand Prix, Sergio Perez was fighting to save his Formula One career.
Just days earlier, McLaren had announced that Kevin Magnussen, the newly-crowned Formula Renault 3.5 champion and a member of the outfit's young driver scheme, would replace the Mexican for 2014, leaving Perez with little time to find employment for this season.
A year on, he has turned his career around at Force India, proving a match for highly rated teammate Nico Hulkenberg and securing the team's first podium finish since 2009 in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Perez recently told Sky Sports' William Esler his eagerness to remain at the team for 2015, proving that a little confidence and faith can do wonders for a driver.
While Pastor Maldonado Is Still Stuck at the Back
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As well as Perez's predicament, Pastor Maldonado's unhappiness at Williams was a major talking point at last year's United States Grand Prix.
After being knocked out of Q1 while his then-teammate Valtteri Bottas waltzed his way to ninth on the grid, the outgoing Maldonado accused Williams of sabotaging his car, telling Sky Sports' Pete Gill: "I think in my car somebody is playing with the pressure and the temperatures."
Frustrated with a car that had allowed him to score only one point after a 2012 campaign which saw him claim a race win, the Venezuelan joined Lotus in the hope of taking many more podium finishes and victories.
Yet the dream hasn't materialised, with Maldonado enduring a worse season than 2013, having failed to score a single point.
And Williams? They're on course for a third-place finish in the constructors' standings.
A New Grid Walk
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Prior to the Russian Grand Prix, each of the 21 drivers made their way toward the very front of the grid, not only to observe a minute's silence for Jules Bianchi, but also to observe the Russian national anthem.
And it is unlikely to be a one-off, with Martin Brundle stating during Sky Sports' television coverage of the event: "I'm told that this is going to start to be pretty much standard procedure."
Whether it will be a practical move in the long-term—as drivers' preparations for the race are interrupted just minutes before the start—remains to be seen, although it will be pleasant to see them honour the host nation of a grand prix.
If they are forced to stand to attention as The Star-Spangled Banner rings around the Circuit of the Americas, it will mark the end of the grid walk as we know it—and force Brundle and his fellow grid walkers to change their pre-race strategies.
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