Formula 1 returns to the Western Hemisphere to begin a five-week tour of the Americas with this weekend’s United States Grand Prix just outside of Austin, Texas.
Sunday’s race at Circuit of the Americas marks the 18th round of the F1 world championship, and 20-year-old points leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes enters with a slim chance to become the youngest champion in the history of the sport – whether global events cause the cancellation of later rounds or not.
Antonelli holds a 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and a 111-point lead over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. An Antonelli win coupled with Russell finishing ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or worse would hand the Italian the championship.
While both Mercedes (578 points) and Ferrari (444) have a firm grasp on Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the constructors race, the battle for third between McLaren (339) and a resurgent Red Bull (332) outfit is heating up with as many as six rounds to go.
You can stream practice and qualifying with Yahoo Sports and catch Sunday’s race on Apple TV.
Here’s what else to know ahead of the 2026 United States Grand Prix:
How to watch the United States Grand Prix
Friday, Oct. 23
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Free practice 1 (Yahoo Sports, Apple TV+, F1 TV Pro)
5 – 6 p.m.: Free practice 2 (Yahoo Sports, Apple TV+, F1 TV Pro)
Saturday, Oct. 24
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Free practice 3 (Yahoo Sports, Apple TV+, F1 TV Pro)
5 – 6 p.m.: Qualifying (Yahoo Sports, Apple TV+, F1 TV Pro)
Sunday, Oct. 25
4 – 6 p.m.: United States Grand Prix (Apple TV+, F1 TV Pro)
United States Grand Prix details
Track: Circuit of the Americas, 3.452-mile, 20-turn permanent racing facility in Elroy, Texas
Race length: 56 laps for 191 miles
Lap record: Charles Leclerc, 1:36.369 (2019, Ferrari)
Tire compounds: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Soft)
2025 winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull-RBPT
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is chasing his fifth win in the last six United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
Past Circuit of the Americas winners
Top drivers and best bets for the United States Grand Prix
Verstappen, winner of four of the last five races at Circuit of the Americas and a two-time pole-sitter, is the favorite to win Sunday’s grand prix with a +110 moneyline, with championship leader Antonelli entering the weekend at +225. Russell, Norris and the Ferrari duo of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc all hold the next-best odds, albeit at distant 10-to-1 odds.
- Max Verstappen +110
- Kimi Antonelli +225
George Russell +1000
Lando Norris +1000
Lewis Hamilton +1000
Charles Leclerc +1000
United States Grand Prix weather
The forecast for the weekend in and around Austin is warm and dry according to Yahoo Weather. Friday will be the hottest day of the weekend with an afternoon high of 86 degrees with plenty of sunshine for the first two practice sessions. FP3 and qualifying on Saturday should see similar conditions, while Sunday will be slightly overcast with highs in the low 80s.
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