Lewis Hamilton is on course to secure his sixth world championship at this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix but first the Brit will be hoping to land pole position ahead of the race. Follow qualifying live.

JONATHAN McEVOY IN MEXICO CITY: Lewis Hamilton was given an unexpected leg-up towards claiming his sixth world title after Max Verstappen was stripped of pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix.

Following the third-place finish of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton needs just four more points at the United States Grand Prix next week to kick-start his title celebrations.

The experiment would have seen the Saturday qualifying replaced with a sprint race, in which drivers lined up in reverse championship order, with the leading driver starting at the back.

JONATHAN McEVOY IN MEXICO CITY: Lewis Hamilton came as close to winning his sixth world championship title as anyone's nerves could stand without actually doing so.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER:You can't be a Formula One driver and lecture on saving the planet. You might think you can. But you can't.

Max Verstappen claimed Lewis Hamilton criticised his aggressive driving style only because he had got into the world champion's head. Hamilton said he feared being 'torpedoed' by the Dutchman.

JONATHAN MCEVOY IN AUSTIN: The props of his life were showing up in Texas as Lewis Hamilton edged ineluctably towards one of the greatest achievements in the history of British sport.

Hamilton can win his sixth world championship with just an eighth place finish in Sunday's race but would have still been hoping for more than being fifth fastest in the final session before qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton is on the cusp of winning his sixth world championship on Sunday but first he will be hoping to end his qualifying drought which stands at seven races.

Valtteri Bottas hopes of at least delaying Lewis Hamilton's coronation of being crowned a six times world champion were boosted in qualifying after he took pole position for the United States GP.

McLaren will not enter a bidding race to reunite Lewis Hamilton with the team that launched his career. Hamilton is almost certain to win his sixth Formula One world title at the US Grand Prix.

JONATHAN McEVOY IN TEXAS: The big flare up of the day came during the second qualifying session when Hamilton and Verstappen became entangled at Turn 19.

Despite a poor qualifying that leaves Hamilton fifth on the grid at the Circuit of the Americas, the Brit is on course to retain his title as he needs just eighth place to secure a sixth world championship.

JONATHAN McEVOY IN AUSTIN: At 34, he moved one title ahead of Fangio, completing yet another milestone in his transformation from a council estate boy into a global F1 star.

Lewis Hamilton has been backed by his Mercedes boss to rewrite the sport's record books for years to come after winning the Formula One world title for the sixth time.

Just a finish of eighth place was needed to secure the four points to land Hamilton out of reach of his last remaining title rival - Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. The Brit finished in second.

Ferrari have responded angrily after Red Bull driver Verstappen suggested the Italian team's poor performance on Sunday was linked to the closure of a potential engine loophole.

EXCLUSIVE BY JONATHAN McEVOY: As Lewis Hamilton whisked friends and family away to celebrate his sixth world championship the great and good were working on another important trip.

The Austrian said that having secured the both championships this season, he would stay in Europe to attend to other matters, with Mercedes set to make its Formula E debut on November 22.

Verstappen has 100 starts and seven wins to his name since becoming the sport's youngest driver and next season he could yet become the youngest champion.

Schumacher clinched his first of seven titles in one of the sport's most controversial incidents when he collided with Hill to pip his British rival to the title by just one point at the race in Adelaide.

The world champion was only fifth here at Interlagos on Friday, but he returned to set the pace in the concluding running before the fight for pole at the Sao Paulo circuit.

He drove spectacularly in the wet here in 2016 but could only finish third on that occasion. Last season he was unlucky to be punted out of contention by backmarker Esteban Ocon while leading.

JONATHAN McEVOY IN SAO PAULO: Verstappen drove spectacularly in the wet here three ago but could only finish second on that occasion after a collision with backmarker Esteban Ocon.

Lewis Hamilton is hoping to return to winning ways at the Brazilian Grand Prix as he races for the first time since winning his sixth world championship in the United States. Follow the race live here.

Following a safety car restart, Hamilton on fresher tyres attempted to pass the Red Bull driver heading into turn 10 at the Bico de Pato with a move on the inside, but couldn't avoid a crash.

JONATHAN McEVOY IN SAO PAULO: Verstappen was all smiles after a smart, occasionally daring, drive from pole position to victory having passed Lewis Hamilton twice on the circuit.

Former Ferrari chief Ross Brawn has called on one of the Italian team's warring drivers to follow Lewis Hamilton's example and accept blame for their collision in Brazil as tension rumbles on.

Lewis Hamilton insists he will not allow his chase to become the greatest Formula One driver in history take over his life.

The American singer, 41, put on a racy display in a revealing beaded dress by Julien McDonald as she posed with the Formula 1 champion, 34, at the awards bash in the Royal Albert Hall on Monday.

A popular Australian radio presenter has conducted an exit interview with his ex-girlfriend of 10 years, asking her questions about what he could improve on and whether he was good in bed.

The rugby hunk, 34, cut a casual figure as he stepped out for a low-key day with new love interest Nicole Scherzinger, 41, in Los Angeles, California on Friday.

The F1 champion, 35, shared a shirtless snap of himself before going for a run as he told how he's hard at work on his fitness and is 'not where I want to be'.

The Chinese Grand Prix has become the latest sporting event to fall victim to the coronavirus after Formula One confirmed that it has been postponed. 

Lewis Hamilton has got behind Barcelona ahead of Sunday's El Clasico, admitting his admiration for the Catalan side and sending 'positive energy' for their crunch La Liga clash.   

F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel said the drivers are prepared to pull out of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne - effectively cancelling the event - due to coronavirus fears.

EXCLUSIVE BY JONATHAN McEVOY: F1 giants McLaren became the sport's first team to place staff on furlough, with their drivers volunteering to take pay cuts themselves.

Lewis Hamilton has paid an emotional tribute to Sir Stirling Moss after the British motor racing icon died at the age of 90. The British world champion said he is grateful for his 'friendship' with the icon.

The 35-year old is second only behind Michael Schumacher in the all-time list of Grand Prix victors after emphatically winning his sixth Formula One Championship in 2019.

In a document handed to more than 100 ambassadors in Rome for meetings with top Vatican officials, Francis told the envoys they had to 'live for the things of God and not for those of the world'.

Madonna revealed she would like a meeting with Pope Francis in a wide-ranging interview with Andrew Denton which aired on Tuesday night. 

Pope Francis is in Mauritius to honour a 19th century French missionary who ministered to free slaves. Roughly 100,000 people attended the service during country's first papal visit since 1989.

Attendants to a Mass with the Pope at a cathedral in Albano on the outskirts of Rome were surprised when His Holiness appeared from the back of a Fiat Tipo, rather than the usual Popemobile.

Speaking at a three-day event, Pope Francis warned Silicon Valley and tech giants in the audience to be ware AI doesn't lead to a new 'form of barbarism', resulting in the manipulation of millions.

In a statement given on Wednesday, a Vatican spokesperson insisted comments published in La Repubblica by Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari were not a 'faithful account of what was actually said'.

Cardinal John Henry Newman is to be canonised at the Vatican in Rome tomorrow. Prince Charles will make speech and woman claiming miracle after praying to Cardinal will be there.

Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi (pictured) writes that the Vatican lost nearly €44million (£38million) last year while its property empire made a loss for the first time.

The Silence Of The Lambs star, 81, wrapped his arm around the 72-year-old actor's shoulders as they arrived in style on the red carpet during AFI FEST 2019 in Hollywood, California, on Monday.

Devout Catholic Susan Boyle joined Lionel Richie and Bonnie Tyler, 68, alongside other stars for an ensemble tonight at the annual Vatican Christmas Concert tonight at the Paul VI Audience Hall.