F1 today: Verstappen puts Mercedes on alert as Antonelli closes in on title

News Summary

• Max Verstappen has won two consecutive F1 races, prompting Toto Wolff to acknowledge Red Bull’s growing threat to Mercedes.
• Mercedes has confirmed that Antonelli’s upgraded W17 was faster than Russell’s older specification in Singapore.
• Antonelli could win the championship in Austin, while Russell is considering another engine penalty in Las Vegas.

The latest Formula 1 news on Monday, October 12, 2026, is dominated by Max Verstappen’s resurgence, Mercedes’ technical progress and Kimi Antonelli’s approaching opportunity to become the youngest world champion in F1 history.

Verstappen dominated the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, taking his second consecutive victory and moving Red Bull closer to McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship. Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, while Antonelli completed the podium and extended his championship advantage over George Russell to 102 points.

The result has intensified questions about whether Mercedes can maintain its competitive advantage over Red Bull during the final six rounds of the season.

Verstappen’s winning streak puts Mercedes on alert

Toto Wolff has admitted that Red Bull’s recent progress represents a serious threat to Mercedes, particularly as Formula 1 prepares for the final races of 2026 and the following season.

Verstappen delivered a commanding performance at Marina Bay, taking pole position, winning Saturday’s sprint and controlling Sunday’s grand prix despite communication problems with his race engineer.

The victory followed his triumph at Sepang, giving Red Bull two consecutive grand prix wins and demonstrating the progress achieved with its latest technical developments.

Mercedes remains in a strong championship position, but Red Bull’s revival has significantly changed the competitive picture.

Verstappen will attempt to secure a third consecutive victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Mercedes confirms Antonelli’s upgraded F1 car was faster

One of the most important technical developments of the day came from Mercedes, which confirmed that Antonelli’s updated W17 was faster than Russell’s older aerodynamic specification by the end of the Singapore weekend.

The team conducted a direct comparison after struggling with the package introduced at Sepang.

Russell reverted to the specification previously used in Azerbaijan, while Antonelli continued with the newer components.

Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin confirmed that Mercedes eventually identified a more effective setup window, allowing the Italian to extract additional performance from the updated car.

The findings help explain why Mercedes initially struggled with its latest developments despite expecting an improvement.

Read more: Mercedes confirms Antonelli’s F1 upgrade was faster after Singapore comparison.

Antonelli could win the F1 championship in Austin

Kimi Antonelli will have his first mathematical opportunity to secure the 2026 Formula 1 world championship at the United States Grand Prix, following his podium finish in Singapore.

The Mercedes driver now leads Russell by 102 points, with Lewis Hamilton a further nine points behind.

Antonelli needs to win in Austin and benefit from specific results involving his closest rivals to secure the title with five rounds remaining.

Although the required combination makes an early coronation difficult, the Italian is approaching a historic achievement in his second Formula 1 season.

The 20-year-old has already won eight grands prix in 2026 and could become the youngest world champion in the sport’s history.

Read the full breakdown: Antonelli can win F1 title in Austin — but the results he needs make it unlikely.

Russell considers another engine penalty in Las Vegas

George Russell has revealed that Las Vegas could be the preferred location for another power-unit penalty later this season.

The Mercedes driver started from the back of the grid in Singapore after exceeding his permitted engine allocation, eventually recovering to ninth place.

Russell explained that the team would prefer to take another penalty at a circuit offering greater overtaking opportunities rather than repeating the difficult recovery required at Marina Bay.

Las Vegas, with its long straights, is one of the options under consideration.

Read more: Russell considers another F1 engine penalty in Las Vegas after Singapore setback.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi F1 finales remain under scrutiny

Formula 1’s final two races of the season remain the subject of contingency planning amid concerns about security conditions in the Middle East.

The championship has examined the possibility of using Imola as an alternative venue if the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix cannot proceed as scheduled.

However, no official cancellation of either event has been announced, and the existing calendar remains the reference until Formula 1 and the FIA communicate a decision.

The uncertainty could affect the number of championship points available during the closing stages of the season.

Read more: F1 prepares Imola contingency as Qatar and Abu Dhabi finale comes under fresh doubt.

Racing Bulls yet to confirm Lawson and Lindblad for 2027

The Formula 1 driver market also remains active, with Racing Bulls yet to finalise its 2027 line-up.

Liam Lawson strengthened his position with a productive Singapore weekend, scoring ten points across the sprint and grand prix.

Team principal Alan Permane has indicated that a decision will be made in the coming weeks, with Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad awaiting confirmation.

Read more: Racing Bulls 2027 F1 drivers: Lawson and Lindblad await decision.

When is the next F1 race?

The next Formula 1 race is the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The race starts at 15:00 local time in Texas, corresponding to 16:00 in New York, 20:00 in the United Kingdom and 01:30 on Monday in India.

The Austin weekend runs from October 23 to 25 and follows the conventional grand prix format, without a sprint race.

See the complete United States GP schedule, start times and viewing information on GRANDE PRÊMIO.