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With just six weekends of the 2026 season remaining, the tension will be palpable in Texas.
Having already recorded a staggering eight wins in 17 appearances this term, Kimi Antonelli currently sits 102 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell at the summit of the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The Silver Arrows are therefore on course to secure a ninth Constructors’ Championship crown, with their previous eight successes coming in consecutive years between 2014 and 2021.
However, as we’ve seen in previous years, even the most commanding of leads can be overturned in the final few races. That will be the target for Max Verstappen, who has been back to his imperious best in the wake of a disappointing outing at Zandvoort, where a first-lap collision forced him to retire early in front of his native fans.
After claiming a podium spot at Monza, Madrid, and Baku, the dynamic Dutchman recorded back-to-back victories in F1’s recent Asian double-header, winning the relocated Bahrain ‘in Malaysia’ Grand Prix before swatting his rivals aside at Marina Bay last weekend. Verstappen enjoyed a clean sweep in Singapore, fully exploiting pole position to pass the chequered flag first in both the sprint and feature races.
This weekend’s action commences with the first two practice sessions on Friday, ahead of Saturday’s final trial run and three-part qualifying section. With the grid order confirmed 24 hours earlier, lights out for the main event is scheduled for 20:00 (GMT) on Sunday.
2026 United States Grand Prix – Key Information
Date: Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October
Location: Circuit of the Americas, Austin (Texas)
F1 race weekend: 18 (of 23)
2025 winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
TV Channels/Live stream: Sky Sports F1/Sky Go
Favourites: Max Verstappen: 11/10, Kimi Antonelli: 9/4, George Russell: 11/1, Lando Norris: 11/1
Odds provided by bet365
Schedule
We’ve provided the full schedule for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix below.
Please note that daylight saving time ends on Saturday night, so BST (British Summer Time) converts into GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) heading into Sunday morning. The local time in Texas – otherwise referred to as ‘track time’ – is included in brackets.
Friday
Practice 1: 18:30 – 19:30 (12:30 – 13:30)
Practice 2: 22:00 – 23:00 (16:00 – 17:00)
Saturday
Practice 3: 18:30 – 19:30 (12:30 – 13:30)
Qualifying – Q1, Q2 & Q3: 22:00 – 23:00 (16:00 – 17:00)
Sunday
Race Start: 20:00 (15:00)
Circuit of the Americas – Course Overview
The first and only purpose-built F1 track in the United States, the Circuit of the Americas has proved to be a popular destination with drivers since hosting its maiden Grand Prix in November 2012.
Considered one of the best permanent venues added to the F1 calendar in recent decades, the Texan-based track takes inspiration from several famous European circuits.
The ‘esses’ stretch between turns three and six is modelled on Silverstone’s notorious Maggots and Becketts S-curve sequence, where a series of sweeping corners test even the most talented of racers.
An ‘arena section’ sits roughly 1.5 miles further down the track, as the layout transitions from a high-speed straight to a set of sharp corners that require textbook handling and intense concentration.
Vehicles slalom through the shadows of towering grandstands while navigating this intimidating section, offering fans a similar vantage point to those positioned alongside Hockenheim’s start-finish straight.
As the lap reaches its climax, a reverse-triple apex provides one final daunting challenge. This particular obstacle is reminiscent of turn eight at Istanbul Park, a track that drivers will undoubtedly relish when the Turkish Grand Prix makes its long-awaited return next season.
The Circuit of the Americas also boasts several of its own unique features, most notably the steep uphill run that precedes the first corner.
A perfect battleground for wheel-to-wheel duels as competitors jockey for position after exiting the grid, this location has produced a series of memorable moments over the past 14 years, including blistering overtakes, superb defensive manoeuvres, and more than a few dramatic collisions.
Sunday’s 22 competitors will complete 56 laps of the undulating 3.4-mile course, which also encompasses 20 individual corners and the iconic COTA Observation Tower.
A mixed weather report could result in varying tyre strategies, as teams aim for maximum efficiency amidst potential showers, a gentle south-easterly breeze, and highs of 32°C.
The current state of play
Although it’s theoretically possible for him to be crowned world champion this weekend, Antonelli – who only celebrated his 20th birthday in the fortnight leading up to a sensational ‘home’ triumph at the Italian Grand Prix – is unlikely to seal the deal at the Circuit of the Americas.
The talented youngster would not only need to appear on the highest rung of the rostrum for the ninth time this season, but also rely on Russell and Hamilton finishing no higher than P9 and P5 respectively. If all of these outcomes materialise, there is nothing Verstappen can do to prevent him from scooping the top prize.
Engineering matters
Both Antonelli and Russell have benefited immensely from piloting the W17, which boasts a superior engine output, cornering efficiency, and baseline speed to all other challengers on the F1 circuit. However, it’s Mercedes’ seamless adaptation to the newly introduced regulations that has enabled them to rise above the field, which took longer to fully acclimatise to a series of architectural and mechanical changes.
That said, recent races suggest that the gap between the Constructors’ Championship leaders and the chasing pack is increasingly narrowing.
A major aerodynamic modification has propelled Red Bull back into contention, while Ferrari dramatically improved their outputs with a raft of upgrade packages midway through the campaign. Furthermore, the specifications of the two Mercedes vehicles were different at the Singapore Grand Prix, as Toto Wolff and his team attempted to isolate issues that arose in Malaysia.
Journey to the top
Despite all this, Antonelli remains the overwhelming favourite to get the job done. Thanks to a record of eight wins, six poles, seven fastest laps, and 14 podiums, the Italian has racked up an eye-watering 340 points. After clinching a runners-up medal at Melbourne Park on the opening weekend, he went on to win each of the next five Grands Prix on F1’s recalibrated calendar, which included an enforced five-week break due to the impact of the Iran War on the two Middle Eastern locations.
A testament to his quality and consistency, Antonelli has only finished outside of the top five in two feature races this term.
The first of these instances came at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, where a damaged front wing – the product of a wheel-to-wheel battle with George Russell – and subsequent engine malfunction compelled him to retire with just five laps remaining.
Exactly three weeks later at Silverstone, the Bologna-born speedster was delayed by repairs to a broken left-front wheel shield (only discovered after Mercedes engineers had originally spent time replacing the front wing and tyres in reaction to their driver’s complaint) and then received a penalty for exceeding track limits while attempting to recover lost ground.
Nevertheless, having followed up that frustrating episode in Northamptonshire with a run of seven podiums in eight race weekends, Antonelli is well-positioned to collect another sizeable points haul this Sunday evening.
United States Grand Prix – Past Winners
Established in 1908, the very first United States Grand Prix – then known as the ‘American Grand Prize’ – was won by pioneering French driver Louis Wagner. Since that inaugural meeting on the public highways of Georgia, a further 53 editions of the race have taken place across ten different locations.
However, the Formula 1 World Championship didn’t visit an American venue in any of its opening eight seasons, eventually incorporating Florida’s Sebring track in December 1959.
The event moved further up the east coast to New York soon after, with Watkins Glen International assuming hosting duties for the best part of two decades.
After a short stint in Phoenix and seven years at the revered Indianapolis Speedway, the United States Grand Prix relocated to its current residence in 2012.
Largely thanks to the dominance of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, only five different drivers have prevailed at the Circuit of the Americas. Clearly, the exploits of this legendary duo have also served to reduce the number of winning constructors, with Mercedes (5), Red Bull (5), Ferrari (2), and McLaren (1) being the only ones to celebrate victories in Austin’s south-eastern suburbs.
Having won the final F1 race staged at the home of the Indianapolis 500 and five of the first six Grands Prix held in the Texan capital, Hamilton is the most successful competitor in the history of the United States Grand Prix.
The British star also holds the joint-record for the most pole-sitter positions in this event, alongside former Ferrari hero Michael Schumacher.
United States Grand Prix Winners at Circuit of the Americas
2012: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2013: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2016: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2018: Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
2019: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2020: Cancelled (due to the coronavirus pandemic)
2021: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2022: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2023: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2024: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2025: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
What happened at the 2025 United States Grand Prix?
After recording the quickest splits in each qualifying round, Max Verstappen converted pole position into a resounding victory at the 2025 United States Grand Prix.
A sunny October afternoon at the Circuit of the Americas brought about favourable track conditions, enabling all participants to utilise a one-stop strategy.
This undoubtedly played into the hands of Verstappen, who was able to build a sizeable early lead despite facing intense pressure from both Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.
The four-time world champion entered the pits on lap 34, having seen his rivals gain marginal ground during the middle portion of the race.
Although his soft tyres started to creak as he journeyed around the final few tours, he was able to comfortably retain P1 and crossed the line almost eight seconds ahead of second-placed Norris.
That put Verstappen within touching distance of the McLaren pair at the top of the drivers’ standings, with just five races of the campaign remaining.
A fortnight earlier in Singapore, the Papayas clinched a second consecutive Constructors’ Championship following their 26-year trophy drought, extinguishing any chance of fellow title hopefuls Mercedes and Ferrari launching a successful late bid for silverware.
Elsewhere, Kimi Antonelli received plenty of plaudits for a remarkable recovery run, which saw the rookie record the race’s fastest lap as he bounced back from an early collision with Williams representative Carlos Sainz.
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Having recently extended their lucrative broadcasting deal until 2034, Sky Sports continues to be the home of Formula 1 in the United Kingdom. Every single minute of the practice, qualifying and race sessions from all 23 of this season’s Grands Prix is being televised live on the network’s dedicated F1 channel, as will be the case this weekend.
Coverage commences at 18:30 (BST) on Friday evening and runs through to Sunday’s podium ceremony, before thoughts start to drift towards next week’s Mexican Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Ahead of the main event, Simon Lazenby listens to expert analysis from a panel of experienced pundits, which includes the likes of former world champions Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg and respected engineer Bernadette Collins.
Martin Brundle will conduct his famous grid walk throughout this hour-long race preview, interacting with drivers, engineers, and celebrities as he navigates the opening stretch of the Circuit of the Americas.
Online viewers can follow all of these events via the Sky Go app, which can be downloaded onto any smartphone or compatible device.
Betting odds
Here is the outright winner’s market for this Sunday’s United States Grand Prix:
Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 11/10
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): 9/4
George Russell (Mercedes): 11/1
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 12/1
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): 12/1
All other drivers are priced at odds of 500/1
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.