Lewis Hamilton hopes to defend win as Formula One returns to U.S.

Formula One returns to the United States this weekend for the second U.S. Grand Prix to be held at the Circuit of the Americas track in Austin, Texas.

Lewis Hamilton of the Mercedes team won the inaugural race there a year ago and hopes for a repeat win to finish as close as possible in the standings to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who already has clinched the championship.

Hamilton is fourth in the driver standings behind Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. After Sunday’s race in Austin, the Formula One season concludes with the Brazilian Grand Prix on Nov. 24.

“I love the States and the first race at the Circuit of the Americas last year was such a great occasion,” Hamilton, a British driver who won the Formula One championship in 2008, told Formula One’s website.

“Austin is a wonderful track and I really enjoyed being the first winner there,” he said.

But Hamilton will have stiff competition from Vettel, who clinched his fourth consecutive title last month with a dominant performance this year.

Vettel has won 11 of the series’ 17 races this year, including the last seven consecutive events.

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