Lewis Hamilton CRASHES out of United States Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc leads from Lando Norris

Lewis Hamilton's miserable United States Grand Prix weekend came to a premature end as he spun out of the race on the second lap after starting in 19th place

Lewis Hamilton's weekend at the United States Grand Prix went from bad to worse after his Mercedes got stuck in the gravel merely two laps into the race.

Suffering through a challenging run in Austin, where he typically excels, particularly after an optimistic practice on Friday, things took a turn for the worse for the seven-time Formula 1 world title holder. Post a slip-up that saw him miss out on pole position, Hamilton started seventh in the Sprint and struggled to climb the ranks, followed by a shockingly poor main race qualifying, ending up 19th - marking his first Q1 elimination on US turf.

The British driver looked set to redeem himself with a rapid getaway as the lights went out, quickly moving from 19th to 12th by lap two. However, his hopes were dashed when he lost control of the car's rear. Spinning off the circuit and into the gravel trap, his car halted before reaching the barriers, incur little damage.

Unfortunately, it was stranded in the gravel, the wheels hopelessly spinning as Hamilton frantically tried to re-enter the fray. Through the team radio, Hamilton acknowledged his role in the mishap, telling his pit crew "Sorry guys," signaling the premature conclusion to what had been a disheartening weekend.

There were several notable incidents during the chaotic start of the Grand Prix. Hamilton's spin resulted in the safety car being called onto the track for the first time in 10 races - marking the longest streak without a safety car intervention since another 10-race stretch two decades ago.

At the front of the pack, Lando Norris started on pole, determined to keep his title rival Max Verstappen at bay. However, as they jostled for position heading into the first corner, the Ferrari cars behind them seized the opportunity and Charles Leclerc surged past both of them to take the lead.

Norris expressed his dissatisfaction with Verstappen's approach to the first corner over the radio, claiming that the Dutchman had forced him off the track. However, the stewards remained unmoved and decided that no further investigation into the incident was necessary.

Esteban Ocon also experienced a spin on the first lap but managed to continue. Zhou Guanyu also lost control a few laps later, dropping to the back of the pack after having advanced to 15th on the grid.

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