McLaren boss Andrea Stella said the Formula One drivers' championship was still in his team's hands despite a dominant US Grand Prix weekend for Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

McLaren have already clinched the constructors' title for a second successive year and have Australian Oscar Piastri leading the drivers' standings by 14 points from British teammate Lando Norris.

The Woking team last won the drivers' crown with Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and have not completed a championship double since 1998.

Verstappen, chasing a fifth title in a row, is 40 points off the lead but has slashed the gap from 104 at the end of August with three wins in the last four races.

There are five rounds remaining.

"I think in terms of the trend today (Sunday) is a relatively reassuring race because I think without having to fight with Charles (Leclerc), which was certainly an entertaining fight itself, I think Lando had the pace to win," Stella told reporters.

"Performance-wise, I think we are reassured that the pace was sufficient to fight for the victory."

Austin podium celebrations 🤠🏆#McLaren | #USGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/uQSGrHNldn

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 20, 2025

STELLA SPELLS OUT THE MCLAREN MINDSET

Norris started the race on the front row, with Verstappen on pole, but Ferrari's Leclerc passed him at the start on soft tyres.

The Briton was then held up as he tried to get back in front, doing so twice.

Verstappen also won the Saturday sprint from pole, with Norris and Piastri colliding and failing to finish the 100km race – a serious setback that also impacted the main race given the lack of data collected.

Stella repeated his view that Verstappen remained in the fight for the title.

"For me, there's no mystery. We know that when Max has the material to win, he becomes a very serious candidate to win. So, it doesn't change what our understanding of the situation is, it doesn't change what we do," he added.

"We just have to keep maximising the performance and keep executing good weekends.

"The outcome of this season and the drivers' championship is in our hands, it's not in someone else's hands. That's the mindset that we want to have and that's the mindset that we will have."

McLaren have not won since Piastri triumphed in the Dutch Grand Prix on 31 August, a run of four races without standing on the top step of the podium.

"The fact that there are five races and two sprints means that we can also increase the gap to Max. I think we have good tracks coming for our car and we have more that we could have exploited out of our car."

The next race, round 20 of the 24-race season, is in Mexico City this weekend.

IT'S RACE WEEK AGAIN! 🙌

This time we're heading to the buzzing metropolis of Mexico City! 🇲🇽💪#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/SI50YsK5jd

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 20, 2025

Stella said there would be no upgrades or new parts for the rest of the season, with the focus on the 2026 car.

After three wins in his last five outings, Max Verstappen was hailed as "the boss" after victory at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, confirming his and Red Bull's renaissance as he seeks to claim a fifth title.

The four-time champion's masterclass moved him within 40 points of McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri with five events remaining.

AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday's intriguing Texan race.

RED BULL REVIVAL

Experience and class shone through in Verstappen's sumptuous controlled drive to victory at the Circuit of the Americas, but it was built on a strong and fast car and slick teamwork that confirmed Red Bull are the team to beat.

After finally completing their second successive constructors' championship triumph, McLaren have been unable to recover the consistent form that made them runaway leaders and, with their nerves twitching, the unexpected is looming large.

"What Max has done is great," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, reflecting on the Dutchman's feat in reducing a 104-point deficit to 40.

"But they (Red Bull) have just turned the car around and it is the most competitive, at the moment. He is scoring all the big points he is as good as it gets as a driver."

Unbelievable weekend!!! Let’s keep this momentum up @redbullracing 💪 pic.twitter.com/VB4E53qii4

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 19, 2025

More than anything it seems Red Bull's change of leadership in July, when Christian Horner was dismissed, has stimulated a resurgence with the accent on calm and methodical engineering under new team boss Laurent Mekies.

That foundation has given Red Bull belief again and a winning car.

"It's incredible, but it's down to Max and the team," said Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg. "What he can do with Red Bull is just incredible. He is just showing his class.

"He's showing us that he is a four-time world champion and that he's the boss."

Verstappen's former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, now boss of Sauber, said: "You can never write him off... He's the best in the world, perhaps, and if I was at McLaren I'd be looking in the mirrors."

But can Verstappen achieve his goal and claim an 'impossible' fifth title?

"Is it probable? Not normally," said Wheatley. "But Max tends to rewrite the rules for himself and has done through his whole career."

And then there were four 👀

A P5 in the Sprint and a P3 in the Grand Prix wasn't enough for Charles to stay in contention ❌#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/hdz3yxOghc

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 20, 2025

MCLAREN'S BROWN SHOWS NERVES

Having oozed confidence as his drivers appeared to be turning the title race into a personal duel, McLaren team boss Zak Brown began to show frayed nerves over the Austin weekend.

After Piastri and Norris had collided in the sprint race, he was quick to blame others.

"That was terrible," he said. "Neither of our drivers to blame there... Some amateur hour driving, some drivers up there at the front wiped out our two guys."

When he had reviewed the incident, he admitted he had allowed the heat of the moment to carry him.

"I've changed my view and I can't really put that on Nico (Hulkenberg). In the heat of the moment, I was obviously pretty bothered with what I saw there," he said.

Results have not gone McLaren's way since August with Verstappen on top and both Mercedes and Ferrari improving -– while the champions have stood still without upgrades for the run-in.

Reflecting on the US GP 💭#McLaren | #USGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/XQIBOtmyOl

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 20, 2025

FERRARI SILENCE CRITICS

They may remain without a victory this year, but Ferrari's form proved they retain the speed and resilience to silence their critics –- and threaten an upset result before the end of the year.

Charles Leclerc finished third and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton fourth in Austin as they closed within seven points of Mercedes in the constructors' championship.

"A really good race for us," said Leclerc. "It's a good thing, especially considering the whole situation with so much completely unfounded noise and rumor around the team.

"It shows we stay focused on the job and to be rewarded with a podium is really nice."

Putting Ferrari back on the podium 🏆💪 @Charles_Leclerc #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/WoH0HD9hZG

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 20, 2025

Max Verstappen dominated the weekend, winning both the sprint and the main race, reigniting his title hopes.

This was his 68th career victory and cut his deficit to championship leader Oscar Piastri to 40 points. This weekend alone he clawed back 23 points.

Lando Norris finished P2 after an intense battle with Charles Leclerc, who secured P3 for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton came home in P4, while Piastri managed only P5 after a tough race.

Verstappen led from lights to flag, with strong pace and strategy making the difference in the first stint.

SPRINT DRAMA

The Sprint was chaotic: both McLarens (Norris and Piastri) retired on Lap 1 after a Turn 1 collision triggered by Nico Hülkenberg tagging Piastri. Verstappen won the sprint ahead of George Russell and Carlos Sainz.

CHAMPIONSHIP IMPACT

Verstappen’s double win means he has scored as many points as both McLaren drivers combined over the last five races, putting him firmly back in contention. Norris is now just 14 points behind Piastri in the drivers’ championship.

BATTLE FOR P2

The battle between Norris and Leclerc was one of the highlights of the race, and it lasted almost the entire 56 laps.

With about five laps to go, Norris launched his last charge. He first tried a move into Turn 1 on lap 51, but Leclerc countered brilliantly.

Later on the same lap, Norris attacked down the back straight and finally secured P2 for good.

A lunge from Lando! 😮‍💨

This is the move that earned the McLaren driver P2 in the end, passing Charles for the second step of the podium 🥈#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/1YBak0Mzrt

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR HAMILTON

Hamilton reached 5 000 career points by finishing 4th, which earned him 12 points, bringing his total to 5 004.5.

This makes him the first driver in Formula 1 history to surpass the 5 000-point mark.

Lewis Hamilton just ticked over 5000 career points in Formula 1 😮‍💨👏#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/8rmVSraeqh

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

This milestone highlights Hamilton’s longevity and consistency over nearly two decades in F1.

Battles, controversy and drama – looks like Formula 1 is set to return!

Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, rookies in the mix and 24 races across the globe - 2025 is gearing up to be an exciting, action-packed year.

Last season, Max Verstappen held off Lando Norris to win his fourth drivers' title, while McLaren took the constructors' championship glory after a 26-year wait.

There is only one place to watch the drama unfold - every single race is LIVE on SuperSport, your World of Champions. Click on the banner below to sign up for DStv Premium.

There has been a shake-up with the 2025 grid and only two teams, McLaren and Aston Martin, have stuck with their lineup from last year.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's switch to Ferrari is the biggest change going into the new season.

Six rookies are set to make their fulltime debut. Oliver Bearman caught the eye when he stood in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen at Haas last season. The 19-year-old Briton joins Haas on a multi-year contract.

Let's take a look at the full calendar ahead, with full broadcast details for the upcoming GP.

CALENDAR 2025 (all times CAT, GMT+2) 

NEXT UP:

20. Sunday, 26 October 2025
Mexico GP, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City

Friday, 24 October. SS Motorsport, Maximo 1

• Practice 1: 8pm.
• Practice 2: 11:45pm.

Saturday, 25 October. SS Motorsport, Maximo 2

• Practice 3: 7:15pm.
• Qualifying: 10:55pm.

Sunday, 26 October. SS Motorsport, Grandstand, Maximo 1

• Race: 9:55pm.

FULL SEASON

 ----- BREAK -----

21. Sunday, 9 November 2025
Brazil GP, Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (Interlagos), Sao Paulo

22. Sunday, 23 November 2025
Las Vegas GP, Las Vegas Street Circuit

23. Sunday, 30 November 2025
Qatar GP, Losail International Circuit

24. Sunday, 7 December 2025
Abu Dhabi GP, Yas Marina Circuit

COMPLETED RACES

1. Australia (Melbourne) - 16 March

• Full race report and video highlights from Australia
  

2. China, (Shanghai) - 23 March 

• Full race report and video highlights from China
  

3. Japan (Suzuka) - 6 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Japan
  

4. Bahrain (Sakhir) - 13 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Bahrain
  

5. Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) - 20 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Saudi Arabia
  

6. Miami - 4 May

• Full race report and video highlights from Miami
  

7. Emilia-Romagna GP, Imola - 18 May

• Full race report and video highlights from Imola
  

8. Monaco - 25 May

• Full race report and video highlights from Monaco
  

9. Spainish GP, Barcelona - 1 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Spain
  

10. Canadian GP, Montreal - 15 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Canada
  

11. Austrian GP, Spielberg - 29 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Austria
  

12. British GP, Silverstone - 6 July

• Full race report and video highlights from Silverstone
  

13. Belgian GP, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 27 July

• Full race report and video highlights from Belgium
  

14. Hungary GP, Hungaroring, Budapest - 3 August

• Full race report and video highlights from Hungary
  

15. Netherlands GP, Zandvoort - 31 August

• Full race report and video highlights from Hungary
  

16. Italian GP, Monza - 7 September

• Full race report and video highlights from Monza
  

17. Azerbaijan GP, Baku City Circuit - 21 September

• Full race report and video highlights from Azerbaijan
  

18. Singapore GP, Marina Bay Street Circuit - 5 October

• Full race report and video highlights from Singapore
  

----- TEAMS -----

Red Bull Racing    
1  Max Verstappen
30 Liam Lawson

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team    
63  George Russell
12 Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Scuderia Ferrari    
16  Charles Leclerc
44 Lewis Hamilton

McLaren F1 Team    
81 Oscar Piastri
4  Lando Norris

Alpine F1 Team    
14  Pierre Gasly
31 Jack Doohan

RB    
22  Yuki Tsunoda
6 Isack Hadjar

Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team    
14  Fernando Alonso
18  Lance Stroll

Williams Racing    
55 Carlos Sainz
23  Alexander Albon[c]

Kick Sauber    
27 Nico Hulkenberg 
5 Gabriel Bortoleto

Haas F1 Team    
87 Oliver Bearman
31 Esteban Ocon

 

Red Bull were fined €50 000 ($58 300), with half suspended, for a grid breach before the start of Sunday's US Formula One Grand Prix.

Stewards said a Red Bull team member re-entered the gate area near the grid position of McLaren's Lando Norris after the formation lap had started and as marshals began to close the gate.

The reason for doing so was not disclosed in the statement.

Sources from more than one team told Reuters, however, that McLaren had placed a marker to help Norris line up his car correctly on the grid and the Red Bull employee had wanted to remove it.

The Briton qualified and finished second in the race, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen on pole position and going on to take the victory.

There was no official comment from either team, with Red Bull principal Laurent Mekies speaking to reporters before the stewards' decision and giving no details pending the outcome.

Max Verstappen is making history with every race and could stage one of the most remarkable fightbacks Formula One has ever seen, according to two team bosses who have worked closely with the four-time world champion.

The Dutch driver was 104 points behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri at the end of August and would have ridiculed anyone who seriously suggested he still had a chance of a fifth successive title.

"I would have told him he was an idiot," the driver told reporters on Sunday.

After three wins in the last four races, he is now 40 points behind the Australian – still a hefty amount – and very much a threat.

In Austin alone he clawed back 23 points.

WATCHING HISTORY IN THE MAKING

If Verstappen were to come out on top it would be an unprecedented turnaround even taking into account changed scoring systems.

"I think watching Max driving is watching history in the making," Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies told reporters after Verstappen completed a perfect weekend with a US sprint and Grand Prix double from pole position.

"He surprises us every time he goes out on track. He surprises us on how much he's pushing us between a session and another, how much sensitivity he has in stuff that sometimes we can see and stuff that sometimes we cannot see."

𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐗 🏆🥇

Verstappen goes 4/4 to complete a perfect weekend in Texas 🤝#USAGP | #F1 | #SSMotorsport pic.twitter.com/a2SYtnNHfz

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 19, 2025

Sauber principal Jonathan Wheatley, who was previously Red Bull's team manager and sporting director, agreed that Verstappen could make the impossible possible.

"You can never write Max Verstappen off. What an unbelievable, dominant weekend from Max," the Briton told reporters. "It's a pleasure to watch.

"Max Verstappen is perhaps the best driver in the world ... if I was McLaren I'd be looking in my rear view mirrors."

Asked whether he thought Verstappen could make up the remaining ground, Wheatley said it was possible as long as the points were there.

"Is it probable? Not normally. But Max tends to rewrite the rules to suit himself and has done his whole career," he added.

Verstappen told reporters the chance was definitely there.

"I know that we need to be perfect until the end to have a chance, so that’s what we just need to focus on," he said.

"It's super close, and just attention to detail will make the difference. Trying to get the best set-up on the car every weekend and then try not to make mistakes. So that's what we'll try to do."

Starting from Mexico next weekend.

Series leader Oscar Piastri called for a calm review of his recent frustrating form and rejected calls for McLaren to prioritise one driver after he finished fifth in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Australian, without a win in four Formula One races since the Dutch Grand Prix in August, admitted he was concerned about both his qualifying and race pace.

"I think it is very important wherever you go to get qualifying right and today I think race pace could have saved you – but I didn’t have that either," he said.

"So obviously, it's something I want to work on. Apart from Baku, this has been the first weekend where I have felt it has been a real letdown.

"It's been sub-par before, but I felt it was pretty good so I've obviously got some things to try and understand from this weekend. It was clearly not all about qualifying.

"It was really difficult to get into a rhythm in any way."

Not the weekend Osc had hoped for, but we’ll be straight back to it next week 💪#McLaren | #USGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lMynLb7qNp

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 19, 2025

Asked about the prospect of McLaren deciding to abandon their "papaya rules" system of supporting both drivers equally and instead choosing to back one, he was against that decision.

"I don't know," said Piastri, who leads the drivers' standings on 346 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris on 332 with Red Bull's Max Verstappen snapping at their heels.

"I don't think so. We are so incredibly tight and we both said we want an opportunity to try and fight for the championship because we deserve it.

"I think it is far too close to start picking one or the other."

Piastri has seen his once luxurious lead of more than 100 points ahead of rampant third-placed four time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull cut to just 40 after the Dutch driver's Texas triumph on Sunday.

Max Verstappen made it clear that he is chasing a spectacular fifth world title after reeling off his third win in four races with a masterclass in Sunday's sizzling United States Grand Prix.

After avoiding direct comment on the championship for several weeks, Red Bull's four-time champion said he felt sure he now has a real chance of snatching the title from the grasp of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Boosted by cutting Piastri's advantage to 40 points with five Grands Prix remaining, including two more sprint races, a buoyant Verstappen called for Red Bull to maintain their momentum.

"Yeah, for sure, the chance is there," he said. "We just need to try and deliver these weekends until the end. We will try whatever we can."

After winning both Saturday's sprint and Sunday's Grand Prix race, Verstappen has 306 points in the title race, in third place, leaving Piastri on top with 346 points and Norris on 332.

Maximum points from Max in Austin! ✅

He secures 33 points out of a possible 33 points from our Sprint weekend 🤩#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/YBK7X1SqxV

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

McLaren have already won the constructors' title for the second consecutive year, but have focussed on preparing for 2026 and stopped introducing updates to their car for this year -– leaving their drivers nervously scrambling to keep their title bids on track.

The 28-year-old Dutchman has now collected 119 points from a possible 135 over the last five Grand Prix weekends – a run that has also coincided with improvements in form from both Mercedes and Ferrari.

Verstappen added: "It was an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew that the race was not going to be super straightforward and I think, if you look at the whole race, the pace between myself and Lando was really close.

"I think on the first stint is where we made the difference. I could eek out a little bit of a gap and that is basically what we kept until the end."

He added: "I am Incredibly proud of everyone to deliver a weekend like this and now we just have to keep the momentum."

"Thank you very much everyone!" 🥹

An appreciative Max Verstappen signs off his victory with congratulations for his Red Bull team 👏#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/gAM64GHaEN

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

Verstappen's late season charge has prompted memories of the 2007 season when Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari went into the final race in Brazil trailing both McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, but emerged as champion.

Max Verstappen maintained the pressure on McLaren and cut another chunk out of Oscar Piastri's lead in this year's world championship on Sunday when he cruised to a commanding triumph at the United States Grand Prix.

In sizzling conditions, Red Bull's four-time world champion led from pole position to chequered flag to come home 7.959 seconds clear of title-chasing Lando Norris, of McLaren, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finishing third, 4.041 adrift.

The top-three from a sweltering Austin! 👏🔥

1. Verstappen 🇳🇱
2. Norris 🇬🇧
3. Leclerc 🇲🇨#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/YRvkW0LoWM

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

Australian championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren finished fifth.

It was Verstappen's fourth win in Texas and seventh on American soil, his fifth this year and the 68th of his career.

It was also, for Verstappen, the fourth race in succession in which he had out-qualified and out-raced both McLarens.

Verstappen has reduced Piastri's 104 point advantage over him to 40 with five races remaining.

Maximum points from Max in Austin! ✅

He secures 33 points out of a possible 33 points from our Sprint weekend 🤩#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/YBK7X1SqxV

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of Piastri and Mercedes's George Russell.

Verstappen said: "It's been an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew it wouldn't be straightforward and the pace between us was close. But my first stint did it for me.

"Now we have a chance to be there (in the title race) and we just have to keep delivering like that in all the weekends to the end of the season and see what happens. It's exciting. We just need to keep up the momentum."

"Thank you very much everyone!" 🥹

An appreciative Max Verstappen signs off his victory with congratulations for his Red Bull team 👏#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/gAM64GHaEN

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

Norris was relieved to snatch second place after spending most of the race pushing to overtake Leclerc.

"It took me long enough! It was a good battle with Charles, he fought hard. It was tough... But I'm happy to take second."

Verstappen now has 306 points in the title race in third place leaving Piastri on top with 346 points and Norris on 332. McLaren have already won the constructors' title for the second consecutive year.

The 28-year-old Dutchman has now collected 119 points from a possible 135 over the last five Grand Prix weekends.

NORRIS PASSES LECLERC, TWICE

On another day of searing heat in Texas, with temperatures of 30C – and 44C on the track – making it a 'heat hazard' race, Verstappen made a clean start to lead up the hill into the opening sequence of turns with Leclerc, the only top ten driver on softs, passing Norris for second.

Hamilton and Piastri also advanced to fourth and fifth after a poor start from Russell, all of them on mediums as Norris and Hamilton chased Leclerc in the opening laps. That battle gave Verstappen a clear run and he was three seconds ahead by lap four.

Having won Saturday's sprint to trim Piastri's championship advantage to 55 points, the Dutchman was revelling in his form and the role of hunter as McLaren's supremacy evaporated.

By lap 10, Verstappen led Leclerc by 3.3 seconds with Norris third, 1.4 adrift and Hamilton fourth, 1.9 behind him. Piastri was fifth, 3.2 seconds back.

For McLaren, it was shaping up as a nightmare for team boss Zak Brown who feared "that Max guy getting in the middle of our fun".

Leclerc's softs were failing by lap 15 and Norris attacked, but the Monegasque defended and a frustrated Norris collected three warnings for exceeding track limits before he passed him on lap 21.

But after a flurry of pit-stops, Verstappen emerged six seconds clear of Leclerc with Norris, back down in third again.

What seemed to be a pedestrian contest came to life in the final six laps when Norris attacked Leclerc, who was struggling on his worn mediums, and, after several attempts, dived past him at Turn One on lap 52.

A lunge from Lando! 😮‍💨

This is the move that earned the McLaren driver P2 in the end, passing Charles for the second step of the podium 🥈#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/1YBak0Mzrt

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

That helped Norris trim Piastri's championship lead to just 14 points.

The United States Grand Prix will remain in Austin until 2034 after race organisers on Sunday confirmed that they had signed an eight-year contract extension.

The Circuit of the Americas (COTA), which has hosted the event since 2012 to much acclaim, reached agreement with Liberty Media-owned Formula One on Saturday and will continue to be part of the growing popularity of the sport in the United States.

"We're glad that F1 has found a home in Texas," said COTA chairman Bobby Epstein.

"And we are grateful to the fans, teams and entire F1 community who have supported us consistently and made the US Grand Prix a favourite stop on the calendar."

BREAKING: The United States Grand Prix at COTA will remain on the calendar through to 2034! 🇺🇸#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/g3iCjnoeoS

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

In a statement, he added: "With this contract, COTA will overtake Watkins Glen as the longest serving F1 track in the United States. Thanks to the great support and a wonderful host city, this has grown to be one of the world's biggest single weekend sporting events – with an unrivalled annual economic impact."

The United States is the venue of three Grands Prix with Austin, Miami and Las Vegas attracting big crowds -– more than 430 000 attended in Texas last year.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole position for the US Grand Prix on Saturday as McLaren's Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri qualified sixth.

Australian Piastri is 22 points clear of teammate Norris, and 55 ahead of Verstappen, ahead of Sunday's race at the Circuit of the Americas but risks having his margin slashed.

Verstappen's bid for a fifth successive title, once dismissed as impossible, is gaining strength after he also won the Saturday sprint race from pole position while both McLarens crashed out.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, last year's winner in Austin, qualified third fastest and shares the second row with Mercedes' George Russell, winner of the previous round in Singapore.

Qualifying ✅

Tomorrow we go racing 🤩#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/Vddt1CuLP5

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

Verstappen needed only one flying lap to secure his seventh pole of the season, the Dutch driver failing to make it around in time for a second attempt in the final phase, but he was still nearly three tenths faster than Norris.

"Unfortunately I couldn’t do my final run. It was a bit messy with the out-laps, but luckily, we didn’t need it," said the Dutch driver.

Norris, who took pole last year, said he could not have done better.

"We were pushing and I'm still happy with P2. It could have been worse, But there was no chance we could have got on pole today," said the Briton.

"I look forward to hopefully having a good race with Max. We have had some good ones in the past so looking forward to it again."

Ferrari's seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth and shares the third row with Piastri, while Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli lines up seventh and Haas's Oliver Bearman eighth.

Carlos Sainz was ninth fastest for Williams and Fernando Alonso completed the top 10 for Aston Martin.

Verstappen and Norris on the Front Row! 🍿

Here's your starting grid for the Grand Prix 💪#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/uBiv37KGz2

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

McLaren's Formula One title contenders Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided and retired from the US Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday.

Piastri's car was hit by Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg at the first corner and pitched onto Norris, who had been on the front row of the grid.

No-one expected this to happen! 😱💥#F1Sprint #USGP pic.twitter.com/dnZcyUfF2S

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

The safety car was deployed, with debris across the track, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen leading the 19 lap race at Austin's Circuit of the Americas and eight points going to the winner.

"Someone just wiped me out, I'm out," said Norris, who stopped on track.

Piastri, 22 points clear of his teammate at the top of the standings, made it back to the pit lane but retired with a broken suspension.

"That was terrible. Neither of our drivers to blame there," McLaren boss Zak Brown told Sky Sports television.

"That's some amateur-hour driving by some drivers up there at the front, whacked out two guys.

"I want to see the replay again but clearly Nico Hulkenberg drove into Oscar and he had no business being where he was, he went into his left-rear tyre."

Max Verstappen made the most of a first-corner collision between the two McLaren drivers to win Saturday's sprint race at the United States Grand Prix and reduce Oscar Piastri's lead over him by eight points.

The four-time world champion turned his third consecutive sprint pole at the Circuit of the Americas into a third straight sprint win, reducing the gap between him and Piastri to 55 points.

Lando Norris remained second, 22 points behind Piastri who had crashed into him after being hit by Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber as the German driver attempted to sweep inside the McLarens at Turn One.

Verstappen went on to win after 19 laps, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, Williams' Carlos Sainz and the two Ferraris, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth after a slick overtake of Charles Leclerc.

Those parc ferme vibes 🤩✨#F1Sprint #USGP pic.twitter.com/YuoymlBaAg

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

"The start was good," said Verstappen. "But then, of course, there was the safety... It took a few laps to have good pace so we need to work out what happened there.

"We need to be better in race trim tomorrow to fight the McLarens. We'll take a look. We have some ideas so hopefully it will work better."

The McLarens are without a race win since Australian Piastri's victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in August.

"We both went pretty deep into Turn One," said Piastri. "I tried to cut back but I got a hit... Not a great way to start the day –- I need to take another look."

Norris said: "There's not a lot I could do. I was taken out and that was it."

Zero points from the Sprint today for McLaren! 😮#F1Sprint #USGP pic.twitter.com/mxY39oQj81

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

VERSTAPPEN'S PERFECT START

On a hot day in Austin, Verstappen made a perfect start to lead away up the hill into Turn One.

The accident behind him was caused by Hulkenberg tagging Piastri who was lifted airborne into Norris's car.

No-one expected this to happen! 😱💥#F1Sprint #USGP pic.twitter.com/dnZcyUfF2S

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

For McLaren and their duelling title-chasers, it was a disastrous start and gifted Verstappen an opportunity to make a substantial cut into Piastri's championship lead.

Hulkenberg lost his front wing as he progressed, leaving debris across the track, with Fernando Alonso also retiring his Aston Martin due to a puncture.

The contest resumed after five controlled laps behind the safety car, of the 19 in total, with Verstappen surging away, chased by Russell.

Sainz continued to hang on in third for Williams with the two Ferraris breathing down his neck.

On lap eight, Russell made a dive down the inside at Turn 12 in an attempt to pass Verstappen, but succeeded only in ensuring both slid off before rejoining.

Behind them, a lap later, Hamilton executed a perfect move to pass Leclerc for fourth and then resist his fightback.

Verstappen stayed in control, but complained that his car was imperfect.

He held on to a 2.4-second lead while Sainz battled to resist Hamilton's pace before a second safety car intervention.

That came when Lance Stroll speared his Aston Martin into Esteban Ocon's Haas inside Turn One, prompting the flags that curtailed the final laps.

Aaand breathe... 😮‍💨

Let's take stock and have a look at our points finishers from the Sprint in Austin! 👇#F1Sprint #USGP @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/zypD0KReBR

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

An upbeat Lando Norris shrugged off his disappointment after being beaten to pole position by Max Verstappen in Friday's qualifying for Saturday's sprint race at the United States Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Briton, who is bidding to beat his McLaren teammate series leader Oscar Piastri to the drivers' title, had topped the times for McLaren during a close-fought session, but was outpaced in the final seconds by the four-time world champion in his Red Bull.

"It's all OK," he said. "It's not that unexpected and it has been difficult over the bumps in sector one... I would have loved to be on pole but Red Bull are just a little bit ahead of us.

"But I think our race pace will be a bit better so we have good hopes for the race."

Norris is 22 points behind Piastri, who qualified third, in the title race while Verstappen is third, 63 points adrift.

Piastri said: "I didn't get it together today and in some ways I am fortunate to be third on the grid. The car pace is good and it was nothing major. Not a disaster.

"I had a messy lap and I will have to be tidier tomorrow. I will see what happens at the start and hope for a good launch."

McLaren team chief Andrea Stella said the session had produced a genuine representation of the field with Red Bull proving they can win and fight for poles at any kind of circuit.

"We are competitive too, so it's a good result for us if not the one we wanted. We want to take pole but this is a good foundation for the sprint race and for race quali tomorrow.

"I think it will be a good race."

Red Bull's Max Verstappen beat McLaren's title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with a final flying lap to take pole position for the US Grand Prix sprint race on Friday.

The four-time world champion went round the Circuit of the Americas with a best effort of one minute 32.143 seconds after Norris, who set the pace in the first two phases and also the weekend's sole practice session, had put his car on provisional pole.

Norris was 0.071 slower than his Dutch rival, who has beaten both McLaren drivers in the last three regular grands prix but remains 63 points behind championship leader Piastri.

With eight points on offer to the winner of Saturday's 100km race, he and Norris – 22 points behind Piastri – both have a good chance to reduce the gap to the Australian who was three tenths slower than his teammate.

"It worked out well, but I still expect it to be a tough battle tomorrow in the sprint but that’s I think exactly what we want to see," said Verstappen, who has been the king of the sprints with 12 wins and now 10 poles since the format was first introduced in 2021.

MAX VERSTAPPEN IS ON SPRINT POLE!! 🥇

What a lap from the Red Bull driver! 👏#F1Sprint #USGP pic.twitter.com/jZeq7h0GwK

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 17, 2025

"The wind was coming up and down, very gusty. The track is very bumpy as well, so the cars can easily step out on you in the high speed. In a qualifying like that, you have to leave a few margins here and there, but for us this has been a very good day."

McLaren have already won the constructors' championship for the second year in a row and are chasing the team's first drivers' title since seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton opened his account in 2008.

Norris started the main race on pole position last year and will hope to make a clean and quick getaway without tangling with either Verstappen or Piastri, as he did in the previous race in Singapore.

"Of course, I would've loved to have been on pole but it's not a surprise for us to be just a bit slower than the Red Bull, but still pretty happy," the Briton told reporters.

"I don't know how much I was off by but a little couple of things here and there I could've improved on, and just caught a few bumps a little bit wrong, I'd say, but that's just the difficulty of this track."

Piastri said he could have done better.

"I think a pretty scruffy lap to be honest. I just didn't really get it together. I feel a bit fortunate to be third, but I think the pace in the car is good," added the Australian.

Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg was an impressive fourth fastest with George Russell, winner in Singapore, fifth for Mercedes and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso sixth.

An impressive effort from Nico Hulkenberg!! 👏

He secures Kick Sauber's best-ever Sprint Qualifying result 🙌#F1Sprint #USGP pic.twitter.com/2phZsdtZtr

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 17, 2025

Williams had Carlos Sainz qualifying seventh while Hamilton will start only eighth for Ferrari, but ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc in 10th. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli lines up 11th.

Red Bull team chief Laurent Mekies, who took over following the dismissal of Christian Horner in July, said on Friday that he felt the team were ready to power Max Verstappen to a sensational fifth Formula One drivers' title.

Mekies made clear that he was not forecasting that the four-time champion Dutch driver would win the title, but that he and the team had the performance to win any of the six remaining races.

Verstappen, in third place, trails series leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren by 63 points with Lando Norris, also of McLaren, second 22 points adrift.

It would take a record swing for Verstappen to overhaul the gap.

"I think it is fair to say that we think we have enough potential in the car now to be in the fight on most of the tracks going forward,” Mekies told reporters ahead of sprint qualifying at the United States Grand Prix.

"Now, it doesn't mean that we will be able to win, but if we do nail everything out of the car, if we extract everything out of the car on a given track, then we think we will be able to fight for the win.

"It doesn't mean that we're able to do that every race weekend. It doesn't mean that we won't get beaten on any of the race weekends, but it means that we should be in that group that fights for the win."

The soft-spoken Mekies has rejuvenated Red Bull with a steady run of improved results including two wins and two seconds since the August "summer" break as Verstappen moved back into contention for a late title challenge.

American Tim Mayer ended his bid to stand for president of motorsport's world governing body on Friday, saying FIA statutes prevented anyone from challenging incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The move was expected after a list published this month left rivals to the Emirati unable to muster the support needed to stand.

"The election for the president of the FIA is over, but our campaign is not," former F1 steward Mayer told reporters at an airport hotel ahead of this weekend's US Formula One Grand Prix in Austin.

"This time, there will be no election. There will be no debate between ideas, no comparison of vision, no examination of leadership. There will only be one candidate, the incumbent, and that's not democracy. That's the illusion of democracy."

The election had been scheduled for 12 December at the FIA General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Mayer said the process was flawed, with the statutes dictating that no candidacy can go forward unless accompanied by a list of vice presidents from every global region.

Those vice-presidential candidates must be drawn from a list of 29 people eligible for the FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and South America has only one named person, Brazil's Fabiana Ecclestone, who is part of Ben Sulayem's team.

Candidates for the presidency must submit their complete lists by October 24 and cannot include a candidate already entered on another presidential list.

"In South America, only one person stood for the World Motorsport Council. In Africa, only two. All three are directly associated with the incumbent. The result is simple," said Mayer, the son of former McLaren boss Teddy Mayer.

"No one but the incumbent can run under the FIA system."

DEMOCRATIC PROCESS?

The American pointed out that more than 40 WMSC candidates were available last time around, with Ben Sulayem elected in 2021 to replace Frenchman Jean Todt.

"What changed? Did member clubs suddenly lose interest in shaping the sport? Or were they persuaded, pressured, or promised something not to stand?

"I can't say for sure, but when only three out of 12 eligible clubs across South America and Africa put themselves forward, independent of whether they support me or not, it's clear this is no longer a democratic process."

Approached by Reuters for a response, the FIA said the presidential list requirements applied to previous elections and spoke of "a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness and integrity at every stage.

"As to be expected, preparing a candidature for a Presidential List or the World Councils requires certain steps to be taken. Prospective candidates have had since the publication of the detailed information on 13 June to prepare their applications," it added.

McLaren team boss Zak Brown on Friday made clear that the 'repercussions' for Lando Norris, for colliding with teammate Oscar Piastri in Singapore, would be so minor that most observers would not notice them.

Norris, who topped the times in opening practice at the united States Grand Prix, admitted on Thursday that he had taken responsibility for their opening lap crash and that he had faced repercussions, although without giving any details.

"We review every race, of course," said Brown, talking to Sky Sports F1. "Lando and Oscar had a little bit of a touch there," he added.

"The start of an F1 race is pretty manic and it was clearly not intentional, but we don't want our cars touching so we laid out how we go racing at the start of the year.

"So, there's a little bit of a sporting repercussion in lieu of what happened.

"We move forward. The drivers are comfortable and they're free to race and looking forward to a big race weekend."

Asked to say more about the consequences for Norris, he added: "It's marginal. It's consistent with what happened –- which was a racing incident, at the end of the day, at the start of a grand prix with a track that was somewhat damp.

"It wasn't intentional, so it's very marginal and it probably won't be noticed. Lando and Oscar know what it is, which is what's most important.

"Of course, we want to be transparent with our fans. We are doing it the hard way, trying to let both guys race for the championship.

"The easy way out would be to have a one and two as some teams do, but that’s not how McLaren want to go racing."

Norris was fastest in FP1 ahead of Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg with Piastri, who leads him by 22 points in the title race, third.

McLaren's Formula One title contender Lando Norris was fastest in sole practice for the US Grand Prix on Friday with championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri third.

The Briton, last year's pole-sitter in Austin and 22 points adrift of the Australian with six rounds remaining, lapped the Circuit of the Americas with a best time of one minute 33.294 seconds.

Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg was second fastest, 0.255 slower, with Piastri 0.279 off Norris' pace.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth on the timesheets, 0.345 slower, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen fifth and 0.354 off Norris' time.

It's Lando who leads Nico and Oscar! 👀

Here's the full classification from practice here in Austin 📊👇#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/jQ38DgPjvg

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 17, 2025

The weekend is being run to the sprint format for the fourth time this season, meaning the Friday slot usually taken by second practice is instead a qualifying session for the Saturday 100km race.

The session was halted briefly to clear debris at the penultimate corner, with something shed from Lance Stroll's Aston Martin.

Williams' Alex Albon was sixth with George Russell, winner of the previous race in Singapore for Mercedes, seventh and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton eighth.

Apple's five-year deal for Formula One's US broadcast rights, announced on Friday, gives both brands a major opportunity for growth in new directions and could ultimately lead to something bigger.

The agreement, with Apple replacing Walt Disney's ESPN from 2026, will see Apple TV host all live action from grand prix weekends and has the potential to bring more people to Formula One through mobiles and apps.

Select races, and all practice sessions, will be freely available in the Apple TV app. Apple TV subscribers can also access Liberty Media-owned Formula One's premium content without extra cost.

No details were given of how much Apple paid to add F1 to Major League Baseball and soccer in their existing sports offering.

"Thanks to Apple we are going to be ready to get into more houses and more in the culture of the American fans," Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali told reporters in a video briefing.

"This is something that will represent a big step change in our approach in the media landscape. But we know the power of Apple ... we know the technology that they have."

DEAL BUILDS ON F1 MOVIE'S BIG BOX OFFICE SUCCESS

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice-president of services and a Ferrari board member, said he hoped the deal became "what we're doing forever".

"I think there's a huge opportunity for both of us," he added. "There's more opportunities to go. But we're focused on this, make this a success and then it'll be easier to keep growing and doing more."

Liberty Media recently acquired MotoGP owners Dorna Sports while Liberty Global controls the all-electric Formula E championship.

 

Formula 1 has a new home in the US. Watch every Grand Prix of the 2026 season live on Apple TV. Don’t miss it. pic.twitter.com/tgXI8NkGWe

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) October 17, 2025

 

There could also be further opportunities worldwide as other rights deals expire.

"We're going to bring everything that Apple has to offer from our retail stores to all of our apps, including our sports app, podcasting, music, obviously Apple TV, books, all the capabilities," said Cue.

"Our websites, all the touch points, Apple News.

"We have so many touch points with our customers and we're going to bring the brunt of that, like we did with the movie, to the races and to qualifying."

Apple's "F1 The Movie", starring Brad Pitt, was a runaway success this year and has grossed more than $628 million worldwide, according to IMDb's Box Office Mojo.

Some 47 per cent of new US Formula One fans, those who have followed the sport for five years or less, are aged 18-24 and more than half are female, according to a 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey.

"Though Formula One has grown tremendously, it still has a huge opportunity to grow so much more," said Cue.

"And it's not just racing, it's culture here. These are incredible athletes, whether it's fashion, music, all of the things that we will partner with them on gives us huge opportunities to expand."

 

Formula 1 has announced an exciting and innovative five-year partnership with @AppleTV to become the sport’s exclusive US broadcast partner from 2026.

This new broadcast agreement will see Apple TV in the US host all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix. In… pic.twitter.com/Fw4laI6yEU

— F1 Media (@F1Media) October 17, 2025

 

The United States now has three grands prix and the Netflix docu-series 'Drive to Survive' has turbocharged engagement in a country that the sport had failed to crack in previous decades.

Cue said Apple would also be broadcasting all races in Spanish.

Ian Holmes, Formula One's director of media rights, said the deal gave the sport access to the broadest possible audience and employ the innovative Apple camera technology used in the movie.

"It's very much a relationship across technology as it is content," he said.