Grey skies were the order of the day here in Austin and to be perfectly frank, it was miserable. Cold with a shower or two and hardly anything going on in pit lane or the paddock.
Lewis Hamilton (above) had his hoodie pulled right up high to combat the cold as he walked to the media centre but earlier in the day, he was in free dress and looked colourful to say the least. 
The pit walk scheduled for the afternoon saw just a small number of fans attend and really who could blame them. Tomorrow will be slightly warmer but with more showers.
The fella below was intriguing. His name is Lando Griffin, click on the link to find out what he does. Of course, if you were going to wear a full face balaclava, today was certainly the day to wear one. 
I found Sergio Perez addressing the media in the paddock after it was announced that he would be staying with Force India in 2019. 
I noted that the Claro logo on his jacket looked a bit tatty. It had been stuck over the Kingfisher and Sahara logos that were previously there. Those two companies were part of the old owner’s group so when the team went into administration a few months ago, those logos were covered with an iron-on patch as it was no doubt quicker and cheaper than getting new jackets ordered. 
Sebastian Vettel was doing plenty of media throughout the day and was happy to do it on the deck of the Ferrari hospitality suite in front of anyone who cared to stop and listen. 
I did note how dainty and soft his hands were; no callouses there! 
Pierre Gasly was looking smooth and a little more shaven than of recent times. He was promoting a fine French fashion house. Incidentally my 18-year old son has that very same top.
Kimi Raikkonen had his hoodie pulled over his cap while he faced questions from the electronic media in the paddock. 
In the press conference Daniel Ricciardo had many of us laughing with his mimicing of Will Ferrel’s character Rickey Bobby. 
Below is the scene from the movie Talledega Nights that Daniel took his inspiration from. It certainly amused Senor Alonso.
Valtteri Bottas was looking cool when he entered the Mercedes suite. 
Daniel Ricciardo was sporting a beanie with his trainer Michael braving the cold in just a t-shirt behind Dan. 
Marcus Ericsson looked like he was going skiing.
And I found TV presenter Ted Kravitz going for a gallop down the paddock, something I’d not seen before.
During the media interviews in the pen, Daniel Ricciardo discovered Lewis’ scooter and took it for a spin. I was a fair way away so I can’t tell you if Lewis picked up on what was going on but the happy-go-lucky Australian was enjoying the ride.
Oh, and here’s a nice colourful shot to calm you.
Later in the afternoon many of the drivers (including Sebastian Vettel below) braved the low temperatures and threatening skies to walk the track. Tomorrow he’ll do the same lap but much quicker. 
And finally here are a couple of funny pics to round the blog off. Firstly (below), I caught this marshal mid-yawn.
And earlier I snapped Haas boss Guenther Steiner having a right laugh with an associate. 
That’s all from Austin but you’all make sure you return on Monday for the post-race blog AND order a print of your favourite F1 pic (currently postage is free anywhere in the world) by clicking the SHOP and then FINE ART PRINTS.
