Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli
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F1 US Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates from COTA as Kimi Antonelli looks to seal title

Live updates from the 2026 F1 United States Grand Prix at COTA

KEY MOMENTS

  • US GP begins at 8pm GMT
  • Kimi Antonelli starts on pole
  • Kimi Antonelli can win the championship today

The 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix takes place today (Sunday, 25 October) at the Circuit of the Americas, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli has his first chance to win the title. 

The Mercedes driver, in just his second year in F1, has a chance to make history today at the US Grand Prix as he faces his first match point in the championship battle. 

Starting from pole position, Kimi Antonelli can win the world championship today if he wins the race, team-mate George Russell is ninth and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton is fifth. 

If Antonelli doesn't win the race, the title will roll on to the Mexico City Grand Prix. 

The Italian will face stiff opposition from the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, who qualified second and third. 

Red Bull has won the last two grands prix with Verstappen. 

Ferrari looked like being a big victory threat in its upgraded car, but struggled to fourth and fifth in qualifying with Leclerc and Hamilton. 

2026 US GP schedule

Race - 8pm GMT

25 Oct 2026
20:54

After 29 laps on soft tyres, Nico Hulkenberg has finally pitted for the first time

20:52
Half Race Distance

After 28 laps of racing, here is how the top ten look:

  1. Max Verstappen
  2. Charles Leclerc
  3. Kimi Antonelli
  4. Lewis Hamilton
  5. Lando Norris
  6. Isack Hadjar
  7. Oscar Piastri
  8. George Russell
  9. Nico Hulkenberg
  10. Liam Lawson
20:48

Oliver Bearman is out of the race, as he is back in the pits to retire his Haas

20:47

Isack Hadjar is on for a one-stop as he is back on track with Hard tyres

20:46

Charles Leclerc has moved into second place, and Isack Hadjar is now in the pits after 25 Laps on his Soft tyres

20:46

Oliver Bearman has pitted and served his 10-second penalty, and is now in 22nd place

20:45

Kimi Antonelli has finally pitted and is back on track in fourth place with a new set of Hard tyres

20:44

Charles Leclerc is on the charge as he is now on the back of Isack Hadjar and will begin fighting the Frenchman

20:43

Max Verstappen has now moved ahead of Isack Hadjar and is in second place, and will now begin chasing down Kimi Antonelli

20:42

George Russell pitted from fifth place, and has served his five-second penalty, and re-joined the race in 10th place on Hard tyres

20:41

Mercedes is targeting a one-stop strategy as Kimi Antonelli has now done 22 laps on the Medium tyres that he started the race on

20:38
Top 5 after 20 Laps

After 20 Laps of the Circuit of the Americas, this is how the top five looks:

  1. Kimi Antonelli
  2. Isack Hadjar
  3. Max Verstappen
  4. Charles Leclerc
  5. George Russell
20:36
Penalty for Oliver Bearman

Oliver Bearman has been given a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision earlier in the race

20:35

Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar, who are in first and second, are yet to pit 

20:34

Max Verstappen is now into third place after he passed George Russell on track

20:32

The McLaren drivers have both pitted and are back out on Hard tyres, with Lando Norris in ninth and Oscar Piastri in 11th

20:32

A Turn 13 incident between Oliver Bearman and Pierre Gasly is under investigation...

20:30

Charles Leclerc has pitted from second place and is back on track in sixth place, as well as Oscar Piastri, who pitted and is now in 12th

20:29

Max Verstappen on his new softs is up into sixth after passing Oscar Piastri, and Lewis Hamilton has passed Liam Lawson for eighth

20:28

Lewis Hamilton has now pitted from third place and is back on track in ninth, behind Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson

20:27

Max Verstappen is in the pits, and he has dropped back to eighth place when he rejoined the race

20:26
No Further Action for Bortoleto

No further action was taken after the stewards investigated Gabriel Bortoleto for leaving the track and potentially gaining an advantage

20:24

Lewis Hamilton is now 3.5 seconds behind his teammate, and has just been on the radio complaining that he is struggling to turn his Ferrari in the slow speed corners

20:22

Gabriel Bortoleto is now under investigation for leaving the track and gaining an advantage...

20:21

Kimi Antonelli has now extended his lead to 2.9 seconds