Key Winners and Losers at the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix
At the Circuit of the Americas, Kimi Antonelli secured his ninth win of the season, pushing him closer to claiming his first-ever championship. Despite a race that lacked instant excitement, the competition among four closely matched teams and the strategic use of all three tire compounds set the stage for various tactics.
Antonelli, just 20 years old, showed remarkable composure starting on the medium tires and sticking to Mercedes' planned one-stop strategy, resisting early pressure. Toto Wolff described this as Antonelli's best win yet, highlighting the driver's control over the race without getting distracted by rival teams’ tactics. This victory has nearly guaranteed Antonelli will become the youngest F1 world champion by three years, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record, with only minor points needed in the upcoming Mexico GP.
"Antonelli’s performance in Austin was incredible, especially controlling the race from a less favorable tire start," said Toto Wolff.
Mercedes is now preparing celebrations for Mexico City, where the younger drinking age might help the festivities.
George Russell Faces Struggles Amid Rising Pressure
George Russell endured another difficult race, finishing eighth after being stuck behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Although Russell is not far off Antonelli's pace, he has shown inconsistent form recently, possibly impacted by the new Mercedes W17 upgrade. The car’s improved speed comes with a tighter performance window that Russell seems to struggle to manage.
Russell expressed frustration post-race, noting six strong laps followed by many poor ones, and admitted the team needs to investigate why his pace dropped so drastically during the first stint.
"There are signs that the setup window is very small. I hope that’s an explanation for my lack of pace today," Russell said.
With Lewis Hamilton poised to overtake him in the standings, Russell’s focus now is to halt his decline and find solutions before the season ends.
Charles Leclerc Capitalizes with Bold Moves
Charles Leclerc redeemed himself from criticism after Singapore by making aggressive passes on Max Verstappen early in the race, including a daring outside move through COTA’s first sector sweeps. His confident driving helped him finish ahead of Verstappen by managing his tire advantage in the latter stages.
"Yeah, that was fun," Leclerc said about his maneuver, "I didn’t really know how it would go. It was quite close."
Isack Hadjar’s Race Hampered by Technical Issues
Isack Hadjar surprised many by qualifying third but faced a frustrating race day marred by technical problems. He suffered from clutch overdelivery and poor radio communication, which led to wrong tire mapping decisions and losing about a second per lap on hard tires. These issues caused him to drop to sixth place.
Hadjar’s visible frustration over the radio echoed past temper flare-ups, despite having competitive pace on track.
"The pace was good today, that’s the hard part of it. We nailed it. And all the little, stupid things we can’t," Hadjar lamented.
Liam Lawson Shines for Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson impressed by securing ninth place and extending Racing Bulls’ streak of points finishes to six. His steady drive placed the team comfortably ahead of Alpine and Audi, with 102 points total—33 points clear of Alpine in the constructors’ standings. Lawson’s performance marks Racing Bulls’ best chance to improve on last year’s record as they head into the final races.
McLaren’s Decline Continues
Lando Norris voiced his disappointment over radio near the race’s end, frustrated by the drop from previous seasons’ front-running performance to fourth fastest this year. Holding onto fifth place on worn hard tires was a gamble, and though it didn't alter his result, it reflected the team’s challenges adapting to the new regulations.
Norris believes better qualifying could have put him on the front row, but the current season has been tough for McLaren. Meanwhile, teammate Oscar Piastri struggles remain evident, with Mexico expected to be another difficult weekend given its low-grip, high-altitude conditions.
