Former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill is backing Lewis Hamilton to emerge victorious at this weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

The sport is ready for a quick swing through the Americas in the coming weeks with the US, Mexico and Brazil all on course to host races between now and mid-November.

Indeed, it's a crucial time in the championship as Max Verstappen leads Hamilton by just six points in the Drivers' standings, with six races left to go in the campaign.

And, that said, every victory will be crucial between now and the end of the year with Hill backing Hamilton to take the spoils at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend in the Lone Star state.

Speaking to the F1 Nation podcast ahead of the weekend, the ex-Williams driver explained that Mercedes' improved performance in recent weeks could help lay the foundations for an important Hamilton win, closing the gap in the standings in the process:

"I think Lewis is going to win, but that would also just bring him back perhaps into touch and there'll be nothing between them in points.

"In fact, Max could come out of this one point in the lead if Lewis wins in the States, so how finely balanced is that?

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"It depends so much on whether Red Bull can find a little bit more. I just think Lewis, after Turkey, they [Mercedes] showed they had a bit in hand, a bit to help them along the way.

"But, things happen, and we are not sure what will take place."

Of course, as Hill rightly says at the end of these comments, anything can happen and so neither Hamilton nor Verstappen will be taking anything for granted, especially at this crucial stage of the championship.