Rosberg and his cap, Hamilton and Vettel's battle, a Texan Australian and rain, rain, rain; F1 and Austin is a perfect match...
Monday 30 October 2017 12:40, UK
Formula 1 has been heading to Austin, Texas for five years and since then the United States GP has provided us with controversy, laughter and many brilliant battles . As we prepare for the 2017 edition, how about a recap with our five best bits...
Hamilton, Rosberg... and a cap
It was petulant, it was comical, it was pure frustration after handing his fierce rival a third world championship on a plate. Where else could we start but with this infamous 'cap spat'?
Seemingly in cruise control of the 2015 US GP and ready to take the title fight to Mexico, Nico Rosberg ran wide at Turn 13 - with the mistake allowing Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton through for the lead and a championship-winning position which he wouldn't pass up.
And Rosberg was a broken man as he made his way to the cool-down room.
While Rosberg dwelt on defeat, an elated Hamilton, who had just achieved a lifelong dream, remained a bundle of energy, taking it upon himself to divvy up the three podium caps.
There's no obvious malice in Hamilton's actions as he tosses Rosberg's cap to him - Hamilton can also be seen passing the third-placed cap to Sebastian Vettel. But there are no words exchanged between the two Mercedes drivers and the response of Rosberg, roused from a world of his own, was instantaneous and instinctive.
Hamilton has 'gone up a level'
The Formula 1 Gossip Column
Maybe he thought it was Hamilton rubbing in his defeat, maybe he saw '2nd' on the side of that cap as a sign of failure. Maybe he hadn't seen Hamilton also pass Vettel his cap, maybe he had just had enough.
Whatever the exact reason, Rosberg interpreted Hamilton's action as a hostile gesture and threw the cap straight back at him. And it produced the video that sums up the pair's strained Mercedes partnership.
A Texan Australian
Daniel Ricciardo certainly likes embracing the culture when it comes to a Grand Prix weekend, and it was no different in October last year as the ever-smiling Australian conducted his whole Sky F1 interview in a rather hilarious Texan accent.
It also happened to be US presidential debate season as Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton stepped up their respective campaigns - but F1's very own cowboy just didn't seem to fancy that topic.
"Please, sir, don't throw that catastrophe upon me," Ricciardo told Ted Kravitz.
Hamilton v Vettel Part I
Cast your minds back to 2012 and the first installment of the US GP in Austin. It was Hamilton v Vettel.
This year's title rivals may well be locked in wheel-to-wheel combat this weekend, but they would do well to beat this battle for on-track entertainment.
Vettel started the race on pole with Hamilton third, but the then McLaren driver was soon past Mark Webber and had his sights set on the lead. However, though he was under increasing pressure throughout the afternoon, it looked like Vettel would hang on for a crucial 25 points as Hamilton just couldn't get close enough to the Red Bull on the straights.
But then the backmarkers got involved. And if you've ever wondered why Sebastian Vettel is so vocal about "blue flags", then look no further.
On Lap 42, Vettel encountered Narain Karthikeyan's backmarking HRT on the approach to the esses and lost crucial momentum. Hamilton would need no second invitation, and hung on to victory by less than a second.
Vettel was irate but still claimed a third successive Drivers' Championship, while this was Hamilton's last victory with McLaren and his first of five at the Circuit of the Americas.
Rain, rain, rain
F1 team-mates are often the best of enemies on the track…but not, it seems, when they've got a long rain delay to contend with. And they certainly had that in 2015.
During an extremely wet Saturday, on which qualifying was cancelled, then Red Bull team-mates Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat danced the day away to the delight of the soaked-through fans.
And on the same day, how about this for brolly-entertainment from Sky Sports News' very own Craig Slater!
Verstappen makes his mark
He's now a proven superstar with two race wins and a bumper new Red Bull contract under his belt, but back in 2015 Max Verstappen was still very much learning the ropes in F1.
But that didn't show in Austin as he battled not one but two Ferraris in his Toro Rosso.
First, Verstappen kept Kimi Raikkonen at bay with what we would now describe as trademark staunch defending - leading the Iceman to complain over team radio - before the Dutchman even passed Sebastian Vettel with an opportunistic move at Turn 11.
Vettel would eventually take sixth place back after the Toro Rosso ran wide, but Verstappen still held on to fourth place and equalled his best-ever finish in F1. He even labelled it his "most complete race".
Half a year later he was drafted in by Red Bull, and he hasn't looked back since.
