Formula 1 returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend for the United States Grand Prix - as Kimi Antonelli stands on the cusp of his first world championship.
The 20-year-old Italian holds a 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and will win his first title if he wins this Sunday’s grand prix and Russell finishes ninth or lower. Antonelli, who starts on pole, also needs Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth or lower.
READ: How F1 champion-elect Antonelli has vindicated Wolff’s bravest Mercedes move
A podium last time out in Singapore extended Antonelli’s lead, as Max Verstappen claimed his second victory in a row amid a Red Bull resurgence this season. Russell, meanwhile, only finished ninth and crashed out of the sprint race in Marina Bay.
The popular race in Austin is the start of another triple-header, with Mexico and Brazil to follow in the weeks ahead. Verstappen was victorious at COTA last year.
Follow live updates with The Independent from the Circuit of the Americas
Read MoreHow can Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 F1 title at the US Grand Prix?
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How F1 champion-elect Kimi Antonelli has vindicated Toto Wolff’s bravest Mercedes move
F1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- The race on Sunday starts at 8pm BST
- Kimi Antonelli on pole position; Verstappen 2nd; Hadjar 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 on the grid in Austin
- Antonelli can win the world championship on Sunday
- Antonelli needs to win the race and hope Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton comes home fifth or lower
Formation lap
20:01 , Kieran JacksonKimi Antonelli leads the pack around the track for the formation lap.
Antonelli on mediums, with the rest of the top-five on softs. George Russell, the other Mercedes, also on mediums.
Will that give the Italian’s competitors an advantage at the start? This should be a cracker at the start!
United States Grand Prix in Austin
19:59 , Kieran JacksonOK - here we go then!
Kimi Antonelli starts on pole at the Circuit of the Americas with Max Verstappen alongside him.
We know Max won’t back out of the long run up to turn 1 - will Kimi?!
A reminder of the starting grid today:
19:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli
2. Max Verstappen
3. Isack Hadjar
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. George Russell
7. Oscar Piastri
8. Lando Norris
9. Liam Lawson
10. Pierre Gasly
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Ollie Bearman
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Arvid Lindblad*
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Carlos Sainz
17. Alex Albon
18. Sergio Perez
19. Valtteri Bottas
20. Franco Colapinto**
21. Gabriel Bortoleto***
Pit lane. Lance Stroll****
*Lindblad has a five-place grid penalty
**Colapinto has a 10-place grid penalty
***Bortoleto has a back-of-the-grid penalty
****Stroll starts in the pit-lane after Aston Martin made set-up changes and replaced his power unit and battery
George Russell, who starts P6:
19:53 , Kieran JacksonWhat’s the key? “A good start; the top-eight drivers are pretty close out there. Hadjar will be interesting; a bit offset to Max, it'll be a tight race.
“There'll be some different start tyres out there but as it stands, probably a one-stop is the way to go."
A reminder: if he finishes eighth or higher, Antonelli won’t win the title today.
Isack Hadjar, who starts P3:
19:51 , Kieran Jackson“It’s going to be complicated; the highest level ahead. Looking forward to it. Going to be enjoyable; a podium is on the line.
On getting the lead: “There’s always a chance, but need to stay realistic. Focus on our start procedure and that’s it.”
Max Verstappen, who starts in P2:
19:48 , Kieran JacksonOn using softs: “That’s what we target, hope we can use them well today.”
On start: “Let’s see, it’s not as important as Singapore.”
Time for the US national anthem!
19:45 , Kieran JacksonFor the second time this season, the Star-Spangled Banner is played before an F1 race!
Performed by London Koi Jones on the Austin home straight...
VIDEO: Antonelli talks through his pole lap
19:43 , Kieran JacksonKimi talks through his pole position lap in Austin - can he claim the title in Austin tonight? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/1R9pVCc1yU
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 25, 2026
Mario Andretti, 1978 F1 world champion and Cadillac ambassador:
19:41 , Kieran Jackson“It’s basically testing, every race is a test session. You accumulate all the knowledge you can and it’s all to the future, to next year’s car - the drivers are doing a phenomenal job, giving back what is needed.
“Realistically, a lot to look forward to.”
How can Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 F1 title at the US Grand Prix?
19:38 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli has a 102-point lead over second-placed Russell, with 150 points left on the table this season. After this round in Austin, there will be 125 points left to play for.
As such, to win the title at the Circuit of the Americas, Antonelli needs to increase his lead by 23 points. Therefore, at a minimum, Antonelli must win the grand prix (25 points) on Sunday. If he doesn’t, he cannot win the championship in Austin.
If he does win the race, only Russell finishing ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton (who trails the Italian by 111 points) finishing fifth or lower would hand Antonelli the title this weekend.
Liam Lawson, who starts P9:
19:35 , Kieran JacksonHow was the wind? “It wasn’t too bad, more than the bumps!
Reconnaissance laps
19:31 , Kieran JacksonGreen light in the pit-lane as the cars undertake their pre-grid laps.
Antonelli in the garage
19:28 , Kieran JacksonThe 20-year-old is in the garage talking to his father, Marco.
He’s been so important to the Mercedes driver’s development and has been ever-present this season.
Will today be the day?
FIA boss reveals firm stance on staging of Abu Dhabi and Qatar F1 races
19:23 , Kieran JacksonFIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem insists the final two races of the Formula 1 season in Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December) will take place as planned.
Grand prix events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April were cancelled due to the US-Iran war and subsequent conflict in the Middle East. Over the summer, F1 revealed a mid-September deadline for making a call on the final two rounds, with Imola in Italy acting as a one-off back-up option for the first weekend in December.
That deadline then extended to mid-October, with F1 now telling personnel to move ahead as planned unless told otherwise. That being said, grandstands are being built at Imola in case of a change of circumstances.
In recent weeks, two container ships were sunk near the Strait of Hormuz after being struck by missiles while, separately, sites in Saudi Arabia have been targeted by the Yemeni separatist group the Houthis, with 13 people killed at Riyadh Airport.
As such, Emirati executive Ben Sulayem was asked whether Qatar and Abu Dhabi were “fine” to stage Formula 1 races. As reported by The Race, he replied: "Yeah, fine. One thing I would say: I have my children there [in the UAE]. You think I would leave them there and I'm here now with you [if it was dangerous]?”
More below:
FIA boss reveals firm stance on Abu Dhabi and Qatar F1 races
Lewis Hamilton held ‘secret meeting’ with Red Bull prior to game-changing F1 move
19:15 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton held a “secret meeting” with Red Bull in 2012 prior to joining Mercedes, claims Christian Horner in his new book.
Hamilton, who won his only McLaren world drivers’ championship in 2008, was eyeing a move away from the team in 2012 and eventually joined Mercedes, where he won an astonishing six titles across 12 years with the Silver Arrows.
However, in his new memoir Drive, Horner has revealed that Hamilton met him and designer Adrian Newey for a meeting to discuss joining Red Bull – who were in the midst of their first reign of dominance with Sebastian Vettel’s four consecutive championships.
Lewis Hamilton held ‘secret meeting’ with Red Bull prior to game-changing F1 move
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, speaking after qualifying:
19:11 , Kieran Jackson“Taking pole position today was beyond our expectations heading into the session. We've been working hard to get the car into a good window all weekend, and we've been chipping away at it.
“Ahead of qualifying though I thought we were probably fighting to sneak onto the front row but more likely for P3 or P4. Kimi pulled out an incredible lap in Q3 to take pole position to surprise us all.
“George wasn't happy with his efforts in the final segment of qualifying, but he still did a solid job in what was a highly competitive session. What is clear with our updates is that the car now has a narrower window of operation. If we manage to get everything together then the performance is strong.
“We are still learning but this is another encouraging sign that we are still moving in the right direction. Tomorrow's race will be a big test, and we know our competitors are strong, but we can hopefully fight for victory and bring home a good points score as a team.”
Driver standings ahead of United States GP
19:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 340 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 238 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 229 points
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 221 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 215 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 201 points
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 138 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 97 points
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 75 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 41 points
11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 38 points
12. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 27 points
13. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 23 points
14. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 13 points
15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 10 points
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 7 points
17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 7 points
18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 7 points
19. Alex Albon (Williams) - 5 points
20. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) - 1 point
21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 0 points
23. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 0 points
F1 drivers parade in Austin
18:53 , Kieran JacksonAn excitable crowd in Texas as the 22 drivers are paraded around this circuit!
What are the remaining races?
18:45 , Kieran JacksonROUND 18 - UNITED STATES
Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 23-25 October
ROUND 19 - MEXICO
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 30 October-1 November
ROUND 20 - BRAZIL
Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 6-8 November
ROUND 21 - LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas Street Circuit - 19-21 November
ROUND 22 - QATAR
Lusail International Circuit - 27-29 November
ROUND 23 - ABU DHABI
Yas Marina Circuit - 4-6 December
Jenson Button on today's race:
18:37 , Kieran Jackson“Max will give it all into turn one, he’s got nothing to lose! We’re going to have a big mess in turn one, a good one!
On title at stake: “The best thing is to just drive as he has done all year, as soon as you tense up or overdrive, that’s when bad things happen.”
Full starting grid for today’s race:
18:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli
2. Max Verstappen
3. Isack Hadjar
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. George Russell
7. Oscar Piastri
8. Lando Norris
9. Liam Lawson
10. Pierre Gasly
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Ollie Bearman
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Arvid Lindblad*
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Carlos Sainz
17. Alex Albon
18. Sergio Perez
19. Valtteri Bottas
20. Franco Colapinto**
21. Gabriel Bortoleto***
Pit lane. Lance Stroll****
*Lindblad has a five-place grid penalty
**Colapinto has a 10-place grid penalty
***Bortoleto has a back-of-the-grid penalty
****Stroll starts in the pit-lane after Aston Martin made set-up changes and replaced his power unit and battery
Constructor standings ahead of United States GP
18:22 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 578 points
2. Ferrari - 444 points
3. McLaren - 339 points
4. Red Bull - 332 points
5. Racing Bulls - 100 points
6. Alpine - 68 points
7. Haas - 30 points
8. Audi - 23 points
9. Williams - 12 points
10. Aston Martin - 7 points
11. Cadillac - 0 points
Lewis Hamilton’s plea for peace: ‘Free Congo, free Sudan, free Syria, free Palestine’
18:15 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton delivered an impassioned speech on Thursday calling for world peace when discussing Rwanda being awarded a Formula 1 race, stating in no uncertain terms: “Free Congo, free Sudan, free Syria, free Palestine.”
The 41-year-old British driver, who in March called for the people of Africa to “take back” their continent, was again drawn on the subject after Rwanda was last week announced as the host of the African Grand Prix, which will make its F1 debut in the early 2030s.
Hamilton, whose father Anthony is of Afro-Grenadian heritage, has long called for the sport to stage an event in Africa, currently the only habitable continent it does not race in. The seven-time F1 world champion admitted he now has the motivation to race into his mid-40s, so he can take part in the inaugural event.
Yet Rwanda’s selection has placed focus on human rights and sportswashing concerns while the country’s east-central African neighbour, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has accused Rwanda of profiting from the “illegal exploitation of Congolese minerals” and triggering conflicts in the region.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Austin, Hamilton insisted he still hopes that “Africa unites” and made a plea for peace in conflict zones around the world.
Full piece below:
Lewis Hamilton’s plea for peace: ‘Free Congo, free Sudan, free Syria, free Palestine’
George Russell after qualifying in P6:
18:05 , Kieran Jackson“We have made some good improvements with the car this weekend and moved it into a good window. The updates have proved really positive and my qualifying session was going well until we got to Q3.
“Ultimately, it was just two bad laps from my side and that is why we ended up P6. Kimi did a great job to take pole and that shows what the car was capable of. Tomorrow will be a long race where strategy will play a big role.
“There are usually incidents here that change how the Grand Prix is playing out so we will be looking for opportunities to move forward. Our pace on Friday was relatively strong so that is encouraging. We will be giving it our all to score some good points.”
Lewis Hamilton after qualifying fifth:
17:56 , Kieran Jackson“A big thank you to everyone back at the factory for the work they continue to do. The guys in the garage also did a great job today, and overall we’re in a good place.
“The car felt really good going into qualifying, and Q1 and Q2 were strong. Q3 felt pretty decent as well, but ultimately we weren’t quite close enough, so we’ll look into that and see where we can improve.
“Tomorrow won’t be easy, but we can still apply some pressure and with a good strategy and strong execution, hopefully put ourselves in a position to fight for the podium.”
Top-10 on grid today
17:45 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli
2. Max Verstappen
3. Isack Hadjar
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. George Russell
7. Oscar Piastri
8. Lando Norris
9. Liam Lawson
10. Pierre Gasly
What does Antonelli need to win the title?
17:40 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli has a 102-point lead over second-placed Russell, with 150 points left on the table this season. After this round in Austin, there will be 125 points left to play for.
As such, to win the title at the Circuit of the Americas, Antonelli needs to increase his lead by 23 points. Therefore, at a minimum, Antonelli must win the grand prix (25 points) on Sunday. If he doesn’t, he cannot win the championship in Austin.
If he does win the race, only Russell finishing ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton (who trails the Italian by 111 points) finishing fifth or lower would hand Antonelli the title this weekend.
United States GP LIVE
17:35 , Kieran JacksonSo, is today the day for Kimi Antonelli?
The Italian starts on pole in a race he needs to win to be crowned world champion today.
He also needs George Russell to finish ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton to come home fifth or lower. Otherwise, he’ll have to wait until Mexico next week.
Stay right here for all the build-up - lights out is at 8pm BST.
Grid penalties in Austin
10:00 , Kieran JacksonFranco Colapinto - 10 places (Internal Combustion Engine)
Arvid Lindblad - 5 places (ICE)
Gabriel Bortoleto - back-of-the-grid (power unit)
What is the grid?
02:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli
2. Max Verstappen
3. Isack Hadjar
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. George Russell
7. Oscar Piastri
8. Lando Norris
9. Liam Lawson
10. Pierre Gasly
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Ollie Bearman
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Arvid Lindblad*
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Lance Stroll
17. Carlos Sainz
18. Alex Albon
19. Sergio Perez
20. Valtteri Bottas
21. Franco Colapinto**
22. Gabriel Bortoleto***
*Arvid Lindlad has a five-place grid penalty
**Franco Colapinto has a 10-place grid penalty
***Gabriel Bortoleto has a back-of-the-grid penalty
Charles Leclerc after qualifying P4:
01:00 , Kieran Jackson“Where we’ve lost is on ourselves, mostly the tyres, out-lap was extremely difficult, for us it was night and day difference, I was having lots of difficulties - shame it happened in Q3, thought we had the pace to be at the front, but not today again.”
Isack Hadjar in third:
Saturday 24 October 2026 23:59 , Kieran Jackson“I’m happy with P3, it’s been incredibly tough for me! Thankful for the hard work, have been tought with the team, but happy to be third but we had a shot of pole, had a massive tailwind in 15, lost so much time, bit gutted but happy to have fought back!”
Max Verstappen after taking second:
Saturday 24 October 2026 23:30 , Kieran Jackson“Q3 was not good, just didn’t have a good balance, no grip, started to slide a lot. You try to push a bit more, the car is like a kangaroo and you know the lap is over. Not happy with Q3 - but if it’s a P2 I take it.”
Kimi Antonelli after finishing pole:
Saturday 24 October 2026 23:21 , Kieran Jackson“Max has been very quick, done an incredible job, not going to be easy, will try and get a good start and lead into turn 1.
“Very happy with qualiying, very hard with wind, was gusty, but very happy to put it on pole.”
Top-10 in qualifying
Saturday 24 October 2026 23:12 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli
2. Max Verstappen
3. Isack Hadjar
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. George Russell
7. Oscar Piastri
8. Lando Norris
9. Arvid Lindblad
10. Liam Lawson
Antonelli:
Saturday 24 October 2026 23:08 , Kieran Jackson“It feels good to be back!” says Antonelli after his first pole in three months!
Kimi Antonelli on pole position
Saturday 24 October 2026 23:02 , Kieran JacksonNobody went quicker!
Antonelli is on pole on what could be a title-winning weekend for the Italian! That’s Antonelli’s first pole since Spa!
Max Verstappen is second, with Isack Hadjar still in third!
4-10: Leclerc, Hamilton, Norris, Russell, Piastri, Lindblad, Lawson
What time is the race?
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:55 , Kieran JacksonThe United States Grand Prix starts at 8pm BST tonight.
Kimi Antonelli on provisional pole
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:54 , Kieran JacksonThe championship leader leads the way after the first laps!
He’s 0.179 secs quicker than Max Verstappen in second, with Isack Hadjar a surprise name in third!
4-10: Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Piastri, Norris, Lindblad, Lawson
Can anyone pip the Italian?
Q3 underway
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:49 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then for the top-10 shootout!
10 drivers involved: Russell, Antonellil, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Hadjar, Lindblad, Lawson
Out in Q2
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:47 , Kieran Jackson11. Pierre Gasly
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Ollie Bearman
14. Gabriel Bortoleto
15. Franco Colapinto
16. Fernando Alonso
Gasly out
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:43 , Kieran JacksonGasly is knocked out at the death by the Racing Bull duo!
Out in Q2 (11-16): Gasly, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Bortoleto, Colapinto, Alonso
Top-3: Leclerc, Antonelli, Russell
Time for the top-10 shootout!
Oscar Piastri on the edge
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:37 , Kieran JacksonThe Australian is struggling so far in qualifying - he’s P10 after the first runs, just a tenth clear.
Current bottom-six (11-16): Lindblad, Gasly, Colapinto, Bearman, Alonso, Bortoleto
Top-3: Verstappen, Norris, Antonelli
4:00 to go in Q2...
Q2 underway
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:25 , Kieran JacksonWill we get any shock eliminations before the top-10 finale?
15 minutes this time, where we’ll lose the slowest six drivers from the rest of qualifying...
Out in Q1
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:22 , Kieran Jackson17. Esteban Ocon
18. Lance Stroll
19. Carlos Sainz
20. Alex Albon
21. Sergio Perez
22. Valtteri Bottas
Gasly escapes
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:21 , Kieran JacksonAs does Colapinto!
Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin also through!
Bottom-six (17-22) and out in Q1: Ocon, Stroll, Sainz, Albon, Perez, Bottas
George Russell on team radio:
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:15 , Kieran Jackson“My back is very hot.”
Engineer: “OK, we’ll take a look.”
Colapinto in danger-zone
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:14 , Kieran JacksonBeen a good few months for Alpine but, at the moment, Franco Colapinto in P17 and Pierre Gasly in P22 are in the drop-zone after the first few laps.
Current bottom-six (17-22): Colapinto, Ocon, Albon, Perez, Bottas, Gasly
Oscar Piastri the main big-hitter who may need to go quicker... in P9.
Leclerc quickest early on
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:09 , Kieran JacksonStill a handful of cars to set their first laps but, so far, all fine for the frontrunners.
Top-3: Leclec, Verstappen, Hadjar
Q1 underway
Saturday 24 October 2026 22:01 , Kieran JacksonHere we go with Q1 at the Circuit of the Americas!
18 minutes where we’ll lose the slowest six drivers - and I think track limits will be a BIG factor over the next hour or so..
Battle for pole
Saturday 24 October 2026 21:58 , Kieran JacksonIt really feels quite open!
Ferrari and Mercedes are the favourites, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen inevitably in the mix too. And can McLaren find any form?
US GP PREVIEW: How F1 champion-elect Antonelli has vindicated Wolff’s bravest Mercedes move
Saturday 24 October 2026 21:56 , Kieran JacksonIn the weeks preceding the 2024 Formula 1 season, following the sensational news of Lewis Hamilton’s dramatic ditching of Mercedes for the allure and pageantry of Ferrari, the next quandary was obvious. How would Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff go about replacing the six-time champion who spearheaded the greatest driver-team relationship in the history of the sport?
Typically in the modern-day F1 ecosystem, the omnipresent Netflix boom mic was best placed.
“Have you talked to Toto yet?” Lewis Hamilton asked Carlos Sainz, the man he was replacing at the Scuderia and therefore unattached for 2025, as aired on Season 7 of Drive to Survive. “I haven’t talked to Toto yet…” Sainz replied. “Which makes me feel like if he really had an interest, he would have already called me.”
Full piece below:
How F1 champion-elect Antonelli has vindicated Wolff’s bravest Mercedes move
Lando Norris after Friday practice:
Saturday 24 October 2026 21:50 , Kieran JacksonAre McLaren in the fight today?
"Difficult," Norris said. "The pace is not bad. We seem a step away from Red Bull and Ferrari, probably Mercedes as well, but the car is very difficult to drive, too difficult to be consistent and get a nice feeling consistently.
"To get the car be quick we just have to try so hard to be perfect and you can't be perfect. I am sure everyone has similar problems in a way but we are just not quick enough yet to be there consistently enough."
Top-10 - Driver standings ahead of US Grand Prix
Saturday 24 October 2026 21:45 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 340 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 238 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 229 points
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 221 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 215 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 201 points
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 138 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 97 points
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 75 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 41 points
A reminder what Antonelli needs on Sunday:
Saturday 24 October 2026 21:30 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli needs to increase his lead by 23 points. Therefore, at a minimum, Antonelli must win the grand prix (25 points) on Sunday. If he doesn’t, he cannot win the championship in Austin.
If he does win the race, only Russell finishing ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton (who trails the Italian by 111 points) finishing fifth or lower would hand Antonelli the title this weekend.
If these three scenarios do not take place, it’s on to the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November.
A reminder what Antonelli needs on Sunday
Saturday 24 October 2026 20:15 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli needs to increase his lead by 23 points. Therefore, at a minimum, Antonelli must win the grand prix (25 points) on Sunday. If he doesn’t, he cannot win the championship in Austin.
If he does win the race, only Russell finishing ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton (who trails the Italian by 111 points) finishing fifth or lower would hand Antonelli the title this weekend.
If these three scenarios do not take place, it’s on to the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November.
Positions 11-20 in FP3
Saturday 24 October 2026 20:00 , Kieran Jackson11. Lawson
12. Lindblad
13. Bortoleto
14. Bearman
15. Colapinto
16. Alonso
17. Ocon
18. Stroll
19. Albon
20. Sainz
21. Perez
22. Bottas
Top-10 in FP3
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:45 , Kieran Jackson1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Max Verstappen
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. George Russell
6. Oscar Piastri
7. Nico Hulkenberg
8. Lando Norris
9. Pierre Gasly
10. Isack Hadjar
What time is qualifying?
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:35 , Kieran JacksonQualifying at the Circuit of the Americas is at 10pm (BST).
Lewis Hamilton quickest in FP3
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:32 , Kieran JacksonFerrari top all three practice sessions but this time it’s Lewis Hamilton top of the tree!
The Brit is 0.168 secs quicker than Max Verstappen at the top, with Leclerc completing the top-three.
4-10: Antonelli, Russell, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Norris, Gasly, Hadjar
Top-five times
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:27 , Kieran Jackson1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 1:34.893
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.168
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.234
4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.488
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.560
Hamilton fastest
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:26 , Kieran JacksonHello Lewis!
Hamilton goes top with a 1:34:893 - 0.168 secs ahead of Max Verstappen, with teammate Charles Leclerc in third, on mediums.
4-10: Russell, Antonelli, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Norris, Gasly, Hadjar
Will we have any late shake-ups to that order?
Antonelli's lap time deleted
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:20 , Kieran JacksonOh.
Antonelli over the white line at turn nine. Lap deleted.
Can’t afford to do that in qualifying later!
Antonelli above Leclerc
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:20 , Kieran JacksonThe championship leader now goes top with a 1:35;015, putting on the softs.
Final laps coming in over the final 10 minutes...
Top-10 after 30 mins
Saturday 24 October 2026 19:05 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc back on top!
1. Leclerc
2. Hamilton
3. Antonelli
4. Verstappen
5. Norris
6. Piastri
7. Russell
8. Hadjar
9. Lawson
10. Bearman
Max Verstappen on team radio:
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:57 , Kieran Jackson“It’s so dumb! Why are the shifts so bad?”
The Dutchman is not happy... and yet is still fairly content in P2.
Meanwhile, Ferrari have dolloped a load of flow-vis paint on the side of Hamilton’s car... wonder what they’re looking at?!
Lewis Hamilton quickest
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:52 , Kieran JacksonFerrari looking quick again - but this time it’s Lewis Hamilton!
He’s top in the early qualifying simulations, 0.141 secs ahead of Max Verstappen.
Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson complete the first 20-minute top-five.
Handful of cars out so far
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:42 , Kieran JacksonTypically with FP3, it’s a slow start.
Just four cars out on track so far - Pierre Gasly tops them.
What did Leclerc say after Friday practice?
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:39 , Kieran Jackson"It felt good but it is not the gain I have seen or heard about," Leclerc said. "It is small gains but we could still see them on the car. It is a small step forward and we started the weekend on the right foot with a good balance and that is the outstanding thing with this Friday.
"It has been a very clean Friday for me, but the others seem to be gaining more than us from Friday to Saturday and seeing the little gap there is, it is not going to be so easy tomorrow."
FP3 in Austin
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:30 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then with the third and final hour of practice at the Circuit of the Americas.
Charles Leclerc was fastest in both sessions on Friday - can the Ferrari driver make it a hat-trick today?
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen reveal toll F1 cars are taking on their spines in Austin
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:24 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris and Max Verstappen noted the damage driving a Formula One car is doing to their spines as the Dutchman labelled the bumps at the Circuit of the Americas as “unacceptable”.
The Formula One circus has arrived in Austin for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix at one of the most popular tracks on the calendar.
But Verstappen, who stressed how much he enjoys the race, hit out at the track surface and says F1 drivers should not accept racing on tracks that are so bumpy.
More below:
Norris and Verstappen reveal toll F1 cars are taking on their spines in Austin
Top-10 - Driver standings ahead of US Grand Prix
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:20 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 340 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 238 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 229 points
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 221 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 215 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 201 points
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 138 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 97 points
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 75 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 41 points
Start times in Austin:
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:13 , Kieran JacksonTimes BST
Saturday 24 October
- Free practice 3: 6:30pm
- Qualifying: 10pm
Sunday 25 October
- Race: 8pm
F1 United States Grand Prix LIVE
Saturday 24 October 2026 18:11 , Kieran JacksonFormula 1 returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend for the United States Grand Prix - as Kimi Antonelli stands on the cusp of his first world championship.
The 20-year-old Italian holds a 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and will win his first title if he wins this Sunday’s grand prix and Russell finishes ninth or lower. Antonelli also needs Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth or lower.
A podium last time out in Singapore extended Antonelli’s lead, as Max Verstappen claimed his second victory in a row amid a Red Bull resurgence this season. Russell, meanwhile, only finished ninth and crashed out of the sprint race in Marina Bay.
The popular race in Austin is the start of another triple-header, with Mexico and Brazil to follow in the weeks ahead. Verstappen was victorious at COTA last year.
