From Antonelli’s triumph to Verstappen’s frustration: What every F1 driver said after Austin

News Summary

• Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrated his ninth victory of 2026 after winning the United States Grand Prix, praising Mercedes’ one-stop strategy and moving within reach of the Formula 1 World Championship.
• Charles Leclerc finished second after beating Max Verstappen, who admitted Red Bull had made mistakes with its tyre strategy and struggled with inconsistent power-unit behaviour.
• Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar and George Russell all identified problems that limited their performances, while Gabriel Bortoleto recovered from 21st to finish 13th for Audi.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli dominated the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, converting pole position into victory at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday (October 25). The Mercedes driver defeated Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen to claim his ninth win of the season, extending his championship advantage to 123 points over teammate George Russell and leaving the title within reach at the next round in Mexico City.

The race produced contrasting emotions throughout the field. Ferrari celebrated a double top-four finish, Red Bull questioned its strategy and technical reliability, and McLaren admitted it lacked the performance required to challenge the leaders. Further back, Liam Lawson continued his strong run for Racing Bulls, while Gabriel Bortoleto recovered from the back of the grid but left Austin without points. GRANDE PRÊMIO brings together the principal post-race reactions from all 22 drivers, including those who retired.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli — 1st: Mercedes strategy delivers another victory

Antonelli described his victory as the ideal conclusion to a weekend in which Mercedes had struggled with balance and tyre overheating before recovering to secure pole position.

The Italian revealed that he had personally supported the decision to complete the Grand Prix with one pit stop, despite uncertainty over whether a two-stop strategy would prove faster.

“It was a perfect way to end the weekend. It was an incredible team effort, especially from strategy, to believe in me and go for one stop,” Antonelli told Sky Sports F1.

The Mercedes driver also acknowledged the importance of returning to winning form after several difficult races, particularly with Ferrari and Red Bull providing stronger opposition during the second half of the season.

His victory ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen brought his championship total to 365 points, although Russell’s eighth place and Hamilton’s fourth delayed his coronation.

Antonelli subsequently insisted that his approach would not change ahead of Mexico City, where ninth place will be enough to secure the championship.

Read more: Antonelli reveals bold Mercedes strategy call after Austin win and sets sights on F1 title in Mexico.

Charles Leclerc — 2nd: Ferrari surprises Mercedes and Red Bull with strong recovery

Charles Leclerc recovered from fourth on the grid to finish second, securing an important podium for Ferrari after the Italian manufacturer failed to convert its dominant practice performance into pole position.

The Monegasque was unable to challenge Antonelli for victory but maintained a strong pace during the race and eventually overtook Verstappen during the final stint.

Leclerc acknowledged that the effectiveness of Mercedes’ one-stop strategy had surprised Ferrari. Antonelli remained competitive for longer than expected during his opening stint on medium tyres, while Ferrari committed to a two-stop approach.

The result also underlined Ferrari’s improvement. Having led all three free-practice sessions through Leclerc and Hamilton, the Scuderia demonstrated that its underlying performance was competitive even if Saturday’s qualifying result fell short of expectations.

Leclerc’s second place moved him to 233 championship points, just three behind Verstappen, strengthening his position in the fight for fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship.

The result contributed to Ferrari collecting 30 points in Austin, one more than Mercedes, as the Italian team attempts to reduce the deficit to the Constructors’ Championship leader.

Max Verstappen — 3rd: Red Bull lacked pace and made wrong tyre decisions

Max Verstappen admitted that Red Bull made mistakes with its tyre choices and race strategy, contributing to his third-place finish after starting alongside Antonelli on the front row.

The Dutchman lost ground during the start and struggled to match the Mercedes driver’s pace, while Red Bull’s early first pit stop effectively committed him to two stops.

Verstappen also revealed recurring difficulties with engine braking and gearshifts, saying the power unit had behaved inconsistently throughout the Austin weekend.

“We were just on the wrong tyres,” Verstappen admitted to Sky Sports F1.

The four-time World Champion was particularly critical of the order in which Red Bull used its tyre compounds, suggesting that an alternative approach might have allowed him to finish ahead of Leclerc.

However, he acknowledged that the team’s mistakes did not fully explain the result.

Verstappen accepted that Antonelli had superior race pace, even if he believed second place might have been possible with better decisions.

Read more: Verstappen exposes Red Bull’s Austin mistakes and admits Antonelli was out of reach.

Lewis Hamilton — 4th: Ferrari setup problems cost potential podium

Lewis Hamilton believed he had the opportunity to challenge for a podium but acknowledged that severe understeer during the opening two stints had compromised his performance.

The seven-time World Champion struggled to rotate the Ferrari through Austin’s slower corners, losing time while the leading drivers pulled away.

Hamilton found a more competitive balance during the final stint and overtook Lando Norris to secure fourth place, but the improvement came too late for him to challenge Verstappen.

Although the timing of a Virtual Safety Car was not ideal for his race, Hamilton refused to identify the neutralisation as the principal reason for missing the podium.

Instead, he argued that Ferrari should have started with a setup closer to the one that delivered stronger performance during the final stint.

The British driver also admitted that difficulties finding the optimum setup had cost him points over several recent races.

His fourth-place result nevertheless reduced his championship deficit to George Russell to just one point, creating an intense battle for second place heading into Mexico.

Read more: Hamilton blames Ferrari setup problems for missed US GP podium despite late recovery.

Lando Norris — 5th: McLaren still lacks the pace to challenge leaders

Lando Norris finished fifth after starting eighth, recovering positions but failing to challenge the cars from Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

The British driver felt he had extracted a strong performance from the McLaren but acknowledged that the team did not have enough pace to fight consistently at the front.

Norris had hoped that a safety-car intervention would create an opportunity to improve his track position and potentially challenge for a podium, but the race did not develop in his favour.

He also encountered greater degradation than expected on the hard tyres, limiting his performance during the final stint.

Despite the disappointment, Norris praised McLaren’s race execution and acknowledged that the team had done what it could with the package available.

The central concern remains McLaren’s relative lack of performance, particularly as Red Bull and Ferrari have improved during the second half of the championship.

With Oscar Piastri finishing seventh, McLaren collected 16 points in Austin and ended the weekend level with Red Bull on 355 in the Constructors’ Championship.

Isack Hadjar — 6th: Red Bull problems ruin podium ambitions

Isack Hadjar believed Red Bull had the pace to achieve a stronger result than sixth, having started third and spent portions of the race close to the front-running group.

The Frenchman encountered difficulties with tyre strategy, engine drivability and communication with the pit wall, leaving him frustrated by the number of problems that affected his performance.

Hadjar was particularly disappointed by an issue involving a throttle map associated with pit-lane running, which he said affected the car after leaving the pits.

He also lost time when instructed to allow teammate Verstappen through, although he accepted that the Dutchman was running at a faster pace on an alternative strategy.

The Red Bull driver considered those difficulties especially frustrating because the car had demonstrated competitive underlying speed.

Hadjar believed a podium was possible without the technical and operational problems encountered during the race.

His sixth-place finish nevertheless brought another eight championship points and strengthened his position among the leading drivers outside the top five.

Oscar Piastri — 7th: McLaren unable to match expected performance

Oscar Piastri finished seventh after a difficult afternoon in which McLaren lacked the pace required to challenge the leading teams.

The Australian had started one position ahead of teammate Norris but struggled to sustain a competitive rhythm, particularly as the race developed and the field adopted different tyre strategies.

Piastri was involved in a battle with Russell, one of the more closely contested midfield encounters involving drivers from leading teams.

However, the result offered little consolation for McLaren, which had entered the weekend hoping to recover performance after being overtaken by Red Bull and Ferrari in the competitive order.

Piastri’s seventh-place result added six points to his championship total, leaving him seventh in the Drivers’ standings.

The team now faces the challenge of understanding why its performance has fluctuated so considerably between circuits, particularly as the final five races approach.

George Russell — 8th: Mercedes driver admits he has no answers

George Russell delivered one of the most candid assessments of the weekend after finishing eighth while teammate Antonelli won the race.

The British driver received a five-second penalty following an early incident and estimated that the sanction cost him two or three positions.

However, Russell insisted that the penalty was not the principal reason for his disappointing result.

“The pace just was rubbish today. That’s the long and short of it,” Russell admitted to Sky Sports F1.

The Mercedes driver acknowledged that he had struggled to extract performance from the car and could not identify the cause.

His difficulties were particularly striking given Antonelli’s domination with the same team’s machinery.

Russell’s eighth place nevertheless earned four points, enough to delay his teammate’s championship celebrations.

Read more: Russell calls Austin pace ‘rubbish’ as Antonelli wins and Mercedes mystery deepens.

Liam Lawson — 9th: Racing Bulls upgrades deliver another points finish

Liam Lawson completed a productive Austin weekend by finishing ninth, collecting two championship points for Racing Bulls.

The New Zealander praised the aerodynamic updates introduced by the team and expressed satisfaction with the car’s performance throughout the event.

Lawson had already attracted attention during qualifying, when Racing Bulls decided not to send him out for a timed Q3 attempt, instead preserving fresh tyres for Sunday’s race.

The approach reflected the team’s confidence in its midfield competitiveness and the expectation that tyre management could influence the result.

Lawson started ninth following teammate Arvid Lindblad’s grid penalty and maintained a position inside the points.

The result increased his championship total to 77 and reinforced his position as one of Racing Bulls’ most consistent performers during the second half of 2026.

Read more: Lawson explains why Racing Bulls stopped him from setting Q3 lap at United States GP.

Pierre Gasly — 10th: Alpine salvages point despite car damage

Pierre Gasly secured the final championship point for Alpine after finishing tenth, the same position from which he started.

The Frenchman had experienced contact with Oliver Bearman during the race, sustaining substantial damage to the right-hand side of his car’s floor.

The extent of the damage became clearer after the Grand Prix, when Alpine inspected the underside of the A526.

Despite the resulting loss of aerodynamic performance, Gasly managed to defend his position and finish inside the points.

For Alpine, the result represented valuable damage limitation on a weekend in which teammate Franco Colapinto had been forced to start near the back following a power-unit penalty.

Hülkenberg, Lindblad and Bortoleto narrowly miss the points

Nico Hülkenberg finished 11th for Audi, just outside the points, while Arvid Lindblad recovered from his grid penalty to claim 12th for Racing Bulls.

Lindblad had struggled during the first stint on soft tyres but found stronger performance after switching to mediums. The rookie was involved in a prolonged battle with Colapinto, which complicated his attempt to catch Gasly for tenth.

Gabriel Bortoleto finished 13th, recovering from 21st on the grid after Audi accepted extensive power-unit penalties during the weekend.

The Brazilian had shown competitive pace during qualifying, but the decision to replace multiple components left him with the task of progressing through the field rather than starting among the leading midfield drivers.

Although Bortoleto gained several positions, he was unable to reach the points and remained on ten championship points.

Audi nevertheless had reasons for encouragement, with both drivers finishing close to the top ten despite Bortoleto’s compromised starting position.

Ocon, Stroll, Alonso, Albon and Sainz explain difficult afternoons

Esteban Ocon finished 14th for Haas after a strong opening lap, but struggled with front-wheel locking and understeer during the remainder of the race.

Lance Stroll recovered to 15th after starting from the pit lane, following Aston Martin’s decision to make suspension and power-unit changes after qualifying.

The Canadian reported that his car initially felt more competitive, although it subsequently lost aerodynamic performance during the closing stages.

Fernando Alonso finished 16th after early contact with Alexander Albon damaged his Aston Martin. A later front-wing replacement compromised his recovery opportunities.

Albon eventually finished 17th for Williams, while teammate Carlos Sainz was 18th after also suffering front-wing damage during the opening stages.

Both Williams drivers acknowledged that the team continued to lack the performance necessary to challenge consistently for championship points.

Pérez finishes 19th as Cadillac prepares for emotional Mexican GP

Sergio Pérez finished 19th for Cadillac after another difficult weekend for Formula 1’s newest team.

The Mexican acknowledged that the car remained some distance from the established midfield competitors, although he identified encouraging moments during the race.

Pérez now turns his attention to his home Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on November 1.

The event will have additional personal significance because Pérez is preparing to celebrate his 300th Formula 1 Grand Prix, making the Mexican round one of the most important weekends of his season.

Bottas, Colapinto and Bearman retire from United States GP

Three drivers failed to reach the chequered flag in Austin.

Valtteri Bottas retired after an abrupt technical failure, reporting unusual noises under braking before experiencing problems with the power unit when attempting to accelerate.

Cadillac had adopted different tyre strategies for its two drivers, with Bottas starting on hards and Pérez on softs, but the Finn’s retirement prevented the team from completing its planned race programme.

Colapinto also retired after contact with Lindblad damaged his Alpine. The Argentine had started near the back following a ten-place grid penalty and attempted to use the hard compound to create strategic opportunities later in the race.

However, traffic and the damage sustained during his battle with Lindblad prevented him from recovering.

Oliver Bearman was the third retirement, following contact with Gasly during an attempted overtake. The Haas driver believed he had been left insufficient room, while the incident caused significant damage and ended his race.

Bearman also expressed frustration at receiving a penalty for the incident, arguing that the collision should have been considered part of normal racing.

2026 United States Grand Prix — Complete finishing classification

Finishing order reported after the United States Grand Prix. Race times, gaps and retirement lap counts are not included because they were not available in the verified source.

What happens next after the United States Grand Prix?

The Formula 1 World Championship now moves to Mexico City for the Mexican Grand Prix on November 1.

Antonelli arrives with 365 points, 123 ahead of Russell and 124 clear of Hamilton, with five Grands Prix remaining.

The Italian needs only ninth place at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to secure his first World Championship, regardless of the results achieved by his closest rivals.

The complete championship standings following Austin also show Ferrari narrowing its deficit to Mercedes and Red Bull drawing level with McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.

The mathematical scenarios for next weekend are explained in GRANDE PRÊMIO’s guide to how Andrea Kimi Antonelli can win the F1 title in Mexico.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the aftermath of the United States Grand Prix and the build-up to the Mexican Grand Prix, with driver reactions, complete results, championship analysis and full coverage in its Formula 1 section.