USA Grand Prix: Star-studded weekend ends with Hamilton triumph - and Gerard Butler 'shoey'

When the lights went out. When Lewis Hamilton gets a good start and his car stays in one piece, he simply will not be caught. Nico Rosberg didn't get away so well, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo overtaking him to move into second. There were clips and contacts further down the field, with Toro Rosso's Daniil Kyvat the one getting his wrists slapped, but Hamilton was already far enough away that he didn't have his race compromised by that drama.

Five stars out of five. He couldn't have done anything more - this was a comfortable race, and a comfortable win.

Poor Fernando Alonso, reverting to his traditional scornful mode as he found himself at the back of the pack. He was not happy at all to be looking at the back of the Renaults, and threw subtle shade at the McLaren engine manufacturer, Honda.

Max Verstappen's duel with Rosberg was thrilling, preceded by the teenager's announcement over his radio: "I'm not here to finish fourth." Knowing his risk-taking style, the scene was set for drama.

And then the move of the race was one nobody was expecting - the Dutchman went in for a pit stop that his team hadn't called for and weren't expecting. They lost valuable seconds and they put some fresh tyres on - and once he was out on the track, his car simply failed, with some kind of engine issue.

That meant a virtual safety car while the stricken Red Bull was lifted from the track - and Mercedes took the opportunity to pit while overtaking was prohibited. The other Red Bull - waiting fo his moment to charge, of course - was not best pleased.

Indeed, the usually sanguine Ricciardo vented his rage - directing it mostly at Rosberg.

The battle for fifth place in the closing stages was magnificent, with Alonso sitting behind Williams' Felipe Massa and Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz. The senior Spaniard got past him, moving down the inside as Massa locked up - they were tyre to tyre but the McLaren edged out in front. Alonso then darted past his compatriot as well on the final lap, shouting, "Yee-ha!" in an appropriate tribute to the host city. Brilliant racing - although the initial overtake was on the list to be investigated after the chequered flag, just to ensure there was no wrongdoing.

Red Bull thought they'd pulled off a classic piece of cunning, calling Ricciardo in for an early pit. Indeed, it could have proved a masterstroke had it not been for Verstappen's choice of parking space, meaning the Mercedes cars effectively got a free pit stop each, ruining Ricciardo's chance to challenge. Credit to Mercedes's quick thinking and on-point preparation, though, calling their men in as swiftly as they could.

Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso drove calmly and confidently, finishing in sixth - his best-ever F1 result. He's been overshadowed this year by the prodigal progress of Verstappen and the woes of new team-mate Kvyat, but this was an excellent display.

Eye-rolls to Ferrari - who failed to attach one of Kimi Raikkonen's tyres properly, leaving him wobbling up the hill out of the pits. He pulled over on to the grass, and then carefully, contentedly slid his car back down the hill into the garage as his mechanics stayed well out of the way.

Texas always puts on a celebrity-laden weekend. There were global sporting legends...

...even if they weren't that keen on talking pre-race.

There were Hollywood stars...

There were astronauts...

To crown off qualifying, Taylor Swift did a quiet, intimate gig.

And to round off the weekend, Gerard Butler did the podium interviews - and drank some Red Bull from Ricciardo's shoe in a new twist on the shoey.