The US Grand Prix delivered one other spectacular occasion that noticed certainly one of Kimi Antonelli’s most dominant performances but, with the Italian beating Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen to return tantalisingly near his maiden title.
Loads of different speaking factors emerged throughout the three days of motion, from Purple Bull’s strategic and technical woes to George Russell’s irritating lack of tempo relative to his staff mate.
Listed below are all the important thing moments from the 2026 United States Grand Prix…
Antonelli on the point of the championship after a dominant Austin triumph
Antonelli got here into the weekend together with his first probability of clinching a maiden world title and changing into the youngest ever F1 champion within the course of. Because it turned out, he was solely two positions from doing simply that on a weekend the place he shone.
For the celebs to align in Austin, the Italian wanted to win Sunday’s race whereas additionally requiring Mercedes staff mate Russell to complete ninth or decrease, and for Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to complete fifth or decrease. Russell was eighth and Hamilton took fourth.
However Antonelli greater than held up his finish of the discount because the younger Italian got here out on high in Qualifying and a very good launch at lights out set him on his strategy to a dominant race victory – through a one-stop technique that very a lot labored out for Mercedes. He now stands on the point of title glory, needing solely two factors to seal the deal subsequent weekend in Mexico Metropolis.
On the opposite aspect of the Silver Arrows storage, it was one other weekend that left Russell with extra questions than solutions. Whereas a five-second penalty for leaving the observe and gaining a bonus on Oscar Piastri in the course of the opening lap didn’t assist issues, the Briton was at a loss to clarify what occurred to his tempo as his staff mate claimed a ninth profession win.
Leclerc seals one other podium as Hamilton closes in on P2 within the drivers’ standings
Ferrari went into the weekend surrounded by loads of promise, helped partly by upgrades they had been introducing. A observe clear sweep for the Scuderia – two for Leclerc and one for Hamilton – additionally helped enhance the expectation.
Their rivals went on to elevate their sport over the weekend however – come race day – Ferrari principally nailed issues on the observe as Leclerc lifted himself from a P4 beginning place to second place. That’s his second consecutive runner-up place.
Hamilton, in the meantime, highlighted steadiness points as his “greatest subject” within the race, however his fourth place end result was nonetheless a profitable outing and provides Ferrari loads of optimism that they are often within the combat for the remaining races this season.
What’s extra, the seven-time World Champion is now only a level behind Russell within the drivers’ standings – which means his former Mercedes staff mate could be very a lot wanting over his shoulder as he bids to maintain maintain of second place from now till the 2026 season involves an in depth.
What occurred to Purple Bull’s tempo?
Verstappen and Isack Hadjar each acquired off the road badly in Austin, the latter blaming a clutch “over-delivery” that has plagued him greater than as soon as this yr. Each initially recovered within the first stint to look proper within the combine for the win, particularly when it transpired the staff had break up methods to try to take the combat to Mercedes.
Verstappen went for an aggressive two-stop, having saved further units of soppy tyres in Qualifying for the race. However that compound didn’t work as hoped, and he discovered himself with an excessive amount of to do in his ultimate stint on the mediums.
The Dutchman’s tempo began to tail off too, one thing he later blamed on inconsistencies with the facility unit. As such, not solely might he not catch again as much as the Mercedes of Antonelli to combat for the win, however he misplaced out to a recovering Leclerc and got here house a barely fortuitous third, helped by a late VSC that neutralised Hamilton’s cost behind.
As for Hadjar, he wound up shedding out to Lando Norris regardless of each being on the identical one-stop technique. Contemplating how nicely he went within the opening stint, the place the Frenchman acquired his smooth tyres to sing lap after lap, sixth was a dispiriting ending and he admitted afterwards that the problems together with his automobile had been beginning to “p***” him off.
A disappointing afternoon for McLaren
Norris and Piastri had been clearly deflated with the dearth of efficiency of their McLaren machines at the US Grand Prix, with the reigning World Champion conceding that the staff had been “simply not fast sufficient” in Austin.
Norris began on the fourth row in P7 alongside his Australian staff mate in P8, with the pair struggling to match the tempo of rivals Mercedes, Purple Bull and Ferrari across the Circuit of The Americas.
Within the latter phases of the race, Norris discovered himself second behind Antonelli however, on fading tyres, had a battle on his arms with Verstappen and Leclerc behind him earlier than later dropping again and discovering himself behind Hamilton to complete fifth.
It’s now the fourth straight race with out a podium for Norris, whereas Piastri’s disappointing 2026 marketing campaign continued with a seventh-place end – simply over 1.6 second forward of Russell.
“I believe we achieved the perfect we might,” admitted Norris. “It was clear we didn’t have the tempo of the others, however we gave it strive.
“We had technique and thru all the pieces, we gave ourselves probably the most alternatives so I’m glad, however we’re simply not fast sufficient.”
The end result leaves McLaren joint-third within the Constructors’ Championship alongside the bettering Purple Bulls, with the duty forward extraordinarily clear in Norris’ opinion.
“We all know precisely what we’ve acquired,” he mentioned. “However we’ve simply acquired to enhance it [the package] and on the minute, we’ve definitely made some enhancements but it surely’s nothing on the degree it must be.”
A worthy champion in F1 ACADEMY
Alisha Palmowski took the F1 ACADEMY title in superb fashion in Austin, profitable the crown with a spherical to spare. The British racer arrived in Texas with a commanding lead within the standings, so it was no shock to see her take the title, the 20-year-old sealing it within the Reverse Grid Race with an excellent drive from eighth on the grid to second on the flag.
She had already received the Opening Race in Austin from pole to increase her championship lead, earlier than her P2 within the second race was sufficient to seal the title. Palmowski failed to complete the Function Race, however that didn’t matter after such a stellar begin to her weekend.
Palmowski is supported by Purple Bull and has taken victory 5 instances in her championship yr, profitable at the very least as soon as at each spherical bar the opening weekend in China. The Campos Racing driver has 172 factors and counting, with a dominant margin to Nina Gademan in second on 119 factors.
F1 ACADEMY is heading to Las Vegas to spherical out the season, with Palmowski set for an efficient victory lap down the Vegas Strip.
