AUSTIN -- Lewis Hamilton was made to work for his victory at the U.S. Grand Prix in an absorbing contest which saw him forced to catch and pass Sebastian Vettel in the early stages of the race.
Vettel got the jump on his title rival at the start of the race and led with a bold move up the inside at Turn 1. Hamilton and Mercedes' pace has looked dominant all weekend and the championship leader soon caught and passed Vettel at Turn 12, but a fascinating tactical battle unfolded from that point.
In an attempt to force Hamilton into a late stop of his own, Vettel and Ferrari pitted for soft tyres late in the race.