2026 F1 United States Grand Prix Recap

By Ryan Wu

With his ninth win of the season, Kimi Antonelli will head to Mexico City next weekend with the Drivers’ Championship on the line. There were multiple permutations that would have allowed the young Italian to claim the Championship in Austin but it was not meant to be.

Instead, the 20-year-old will now simply need to finish ninth place or better and he will secure his first Formula 1 Championship while becoming the youngest Champion by more than three years. Antonelli now has a 123-point lead over teammate George Russell who finished in eighth place, a mere 54 seconds behind Antonelli. Russell faces a tightly contested fight for second place as only 31 points separate him and sixth place Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Race Recap

Antonelli started from pole position at the Circuit of the Americas, with Max Verstappen alongside him on the front row. He made a rapid start, quickly pulling away from his competitors. Charles Leclerc also got off to a strong start, overtaking Verstappen within the first few corners to claim second place.

George Russell, who needed a race win and a disastrous result from Antonelli to keep his title hopes alive, suffered a major setback on lap 14 when he received a five second time penalty for exceeding track limits. The penalty dealt a significant blow to his already slim championship chances.

Different tire strategies briefly handed Verstappen the race lead when Antonelli pitted for a fresh set of hard tires on lap 25. However, Verstappen began reporting car problems on lap 30 and eventually had to pit to replace his soft tires, allowing Leclerc to take the lead.

Antonelli then made short work of Leclerc to reclaim first place. By lap 47, Leclerc had dropped to fourth as he made his final pit stop.

A late lunge from Verstappen saw him overtake Lando Norris for second place. Norris then lost another position to Leclerc, dropping to fourth. With nine laps remaining, Leclerc set his sights on Verstappen and managed to pass him two laps later. The Monégasque driver also helped strengthen Ferrari’s position in the Constructors’ Championship, where they lead Red Bull and McLaren by 119 points each.

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri lost a position to Lewis Hamilton, who made a daring overtake to secure fourth place.

With the Drivers’ Championship all but decided, there is still plenty to fight for in the remaining races. Drivers continue to battle for second place in the standings, while the teams compete to determine who will finish behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship.

Racing Refresh Driver of the Day

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Final Points Finishing Positions

1st:  Kimi Antonelli

2nd: Charles Leclerc

3rd: Max Verstappen

4th: Lewis Hamilton

5th: Lando Norris

6th: Isack Hadjar

7th: Oscar Piastri

8th: George Russell

9th: Liam Lawson

10th: Pierre Gasly

Next on the F1 Schedule:

Mexican Grand Prix: October 30th - November 1st