Mercedes’ weekend followed a familiar path at the US Grand Prix. They showed contending pace before falling away rather dramatically. In the first two segments of Sprint qualifying on Friday, Lewis Hamilton looked like a contender for pole. However, a yellow flag, followed by a mistake at turn 12, cost him. Teammate George Russell showed the car’s pace in SQ3 by lapping within twelve-thousandths of polesitter Max Verstappen. Mercedes’ substantial upgrade package for the event seemed to be working well. However, Russell called himself an ‘idiot’ after both Ferraris passed him in the Sprint itse…