Vettel puts Alonso in shade at second US practice

Sebastian Vettel shrugged off a water leak to put a dampener on title rival Fernando Alonso’s hopes of a championship charge.

Vettel topped both practice sessions ahead of the United States Grand Prix as the Circuit of The Americas threw open its doors for business to herald the return of Formula One to America after a five-year absence.

The 25-year-old German finished an astonishing 1.4 seconds clear of the opposition after the opening 90 minutes around the undulating 5.513km track - the largest margin at the end of any practice outing this season.