Formula 1 Returns to the U.S. This Weekend

Formula 1 is back in the United States this week, featuring the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Excitingly, there’s a chance we could see a championship decided in Texas this weekend.

Kimi Antonelli will arrive in Austin with his first opportunity to secure the Drivers’ Championship this season. To make this happen at the United States Grand Prix, he’ll need to win, and, well, a bit of luck from his competitors would also help. This certainly stands out as one of the key narratives as F1 revs up for action.

Can Kimi Antonelli Secure the Championship?

Antonelli is heading to Austin with a solid lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings. If he grabs a victory, along with some assistance from the other drivers, he could clinch the title at the Circuit of the Americas.

Here’s a snapshot of the current F1 Drivers’ Championship standings ahead of the United States Grand Prix, with the drivers still in contention:

We’ve reviewed many of Antonelli’s potential scenarios following the Singapore Grand Prix, but the simplest route for him to secure the title in Austin is through winning the race. A victory would eliminate Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris from contention and essentially put Antonelli on the brink of being crowned champion.

If George Russell finishes ninth or worse, and Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth or worse, then Antonelli would officially claim the title.

However, there exists a possibility that Antonelli might have already clinched the championship. With the final two races of the season scheduled for Qatar and Abu Dhabi, unforeseen global events could lead to the cancellation of those Grands Prix.

In that scenario, just four races would remain, with a total of 100 points available for a driver who wins all of them.

Considering Antonelli’s current lead over second place Russell by 102 points, this would mean he could be crowned the Drivers’ Champion. Yet, F1 is aiming to carry out those two races as planned, or perhaps arrange a race at Imola to substitute Qatar and Abu Dhabi. For now, Antonelli will still need that win and a bit of luck to secure the championship.

Can Max Verstappen Maintain His Momentum?

You might have heard this before.

After a rocky start to the season, Max Verstappen is arriving at the United States Grand Prix riding a wave of momentum, with hopes of making a comeback in the championship race.

This was the narrative last year in Austin, where Verstappen showed up in third place, trailing both Norris and Oscar Piastri, even after winning two out of the three previous races. Ultimately, he dominated the 2025 United States Grand Prix and appeared to gain confidence in his championship prospects.

Even if it’s a tougher climb for Verstappen this year, he comes to Austin with victories in the last two races—both the F1 Sprint and the Singapore Grand Prix—having also secured podium finishes in each of the last five Grands Prix. The question is: can he extend his title hopes into Mexico City?

The Battle for P3 in the Constructors’ Championship

Looking at the Constructors’ Championship standings, Mercedes leads comfortably with 578 points, followed by Ferrari at 444 points.

However, the race for third place has become more intense, fueled by Verstappen’s recent successes.

As McLaren heads to Austin holding third place in the Constructors’ Championship with 339 points, Red Bull, with Verstappen, is close behind at fourth, totaling 332 points. The gap has narrowed significantly—thanks to Verstappen’s recent podium streak where Red Bull has outscored McLaren substantially.

Last year, Verstappen’s victory at this very Grand Prix put additional pressure on the McLaren drivers in the standings.

In other news, Haas recently filled one of the last open spots on the 2027 grid, announcing that Rafael Câmara will take over from Esteban Ocon for the upcoming season on a “multi-year” deal.

Will the final spots on the grid be announced this week?

The seat next to Câmara is still undecided, although many speculate that Oliver Bearman will return to Haas next year. Meanwhile, Mercedes has yet to confirm George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2027, but it seems both drivers could have multi-year contracts in play, with options extending to 2027 and beyond.

Regarding the two seats at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad have shown promise this year. Lawson even had a brief period driving for the senior team while Isack Hadjar was sidelined due to injury. Team principal Alan Permane mentioned during the Singapore Grand Prix that a final decision will be made “in a couple of weeks,” as the team evaluates options, including Nikola Tsolov, who has also garnered attention in Formula 2 this season.

This seems like a good challenge to have, as Permane noted, deeming it a “luxury” to have to choose between these three talented drivers. Giving Lawson and Lindblad another season in F1, along with more time for 19-year-old Tsolov to develop in F2, seems like a prudent strategy. However, if the team is looking for the next rising star, promoting Tsolov isn’t off the table.

How to Follow the Weekend’s Action

This week also marks my return to the F1 paddock with SB Nation, as I’m on the ground throughout the event. It’s my first race back this season and I’m excited since it’s actually my fifth time attending an F1 race as a credentialed journalist.

It feels like a personal milestone, or maybe that’s just me rambling on.

The best way to keep up with the events all week is through the SB Nation app. We made some major updates to SB Nation last year, like reducing ads and adding a Feed. The app aims to enhance the fan experience with community features while minimizing ads.

F1 fans can join the F1 community within the app, where all articles and stories from the grid will be available, and you can interact with fellow fans. We’ll host “game threads” for qualifying and race days, among other things throughout the season. While in Austin, I’ll be gathering questions for driver and team principal interviews and hopefully connecting with fans on-site over the weekend.