Motor racing-Hamilton on pole for U.S. Grand Prix

Grand Prix that could clinch the Mercedes driver a fourth Formula One world championship.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, the Briton's closest rival but 59 points behind in the standings with four races remaining, qualified second.

Hamilton, chasing his fifth win in six years at the Circuit of the Americas, will be champion on Sunday if he scores 16 points more than the German. Vettel is the only other driver to have won at the Texas track.

The pole, in a time of one minute 33.108 seconds, was the 72nd of Hamilton's career and 11th of the season. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)