{"id":4470,"date":"2026-10-26T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T17:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4470"},"modified":"2026-10-26T14:38:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T17:38:15","slug":"verstappens-f1-title-hopes-end-early-for-first-time-in-six-years-after-austin-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/verstappens-f1-title-hopes-end-early-for-first-time-in-six-years-after-austin-defeat\/","title":{"rendered":"Verstappen&#8217;s F1 title hopes end early for first time in six years after Austin defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Max Verstappen has been mathematically eliminated from the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship<\/strong> following Andrea Kimi Antonelli&#8217;s victory at the United States Grand Prix.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For the first time since 2020, Verstappen will reach the final race without a chance of winning the title<\/strong>, having claimed four consecutive championships from 2021 to 2024 and fought Lando Norris until the 2025 finale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Red Bull driver has <strong>236 points, 129 behind Antonelli<\/strong>, with only 125 available over the remaining five races. Despite Red Bull&#8217;s recent recovery, Verstappen can no longer claim a fifth World Championship in 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Max Verstappen will finish the 2026 Formula 1 season without fighting for the World Championship at the final race for the first time since 2020.<\/strong> The four-time champion was mathematically eliminated from the title battle after finishing third in Sunday&#8217;s (October 25) United States Grand Prix, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured his ninth victory of the year and extended his lead beyond the maximum points Verstappen can still recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman leaves Austin fourth in the standings with <strong>236 points, 129 behind Antonelli&#8217;s 365<\/strong>, while only 125 remain available across Mexico City, S\u00e3o Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The result marks the end of a remarkable sequence in which Verstappen either won the championship or remained mathematically capable of winning it until the final round for five consecutive seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verstappen&#8217;s F1 title hopes end mathematically after Austin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen arrived at Circuit of The Americas still capable of becoming World Champion, although his chances depended on an increasingly unlikely series of results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Red Bull driver started the United States Grand Prix with 221 points, trailing Antonelli by 119 with six races remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman needed to recover ground on the Mercedes driver to remain in mathematical contention, particularly with Antonelli starting from pole position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-wins-f1-united-states-gp-with-one-stop-strategy-as-russell-delays-title-celebrations\/\">Antonelli converted pole into victory with an effective one-stop strategy<\/a><\/strong>, taking the maximum 25 points and extending his championship total to 365.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen finished third behind Ferrari&#8217;s Charles Leclerc, collecting 15 points and moving to 236.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ten-point difference in their scores during the race increased the championship gap from 119 to <strong>129 points<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With five Grands Prix remaining, a driver can collect a maximum of 125 points through race victories. Verstappen therefore cannot match Antonelli&#8217;s current total, even if the Mercedes driver fails to score again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Verstappen can no longer win the 2026 F1 championship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Championship calculation<\/th><th>Points<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Andrea Kimi Antonelli&#8217;s current total<\/td><td><strong>365<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Max Verstappen&#8217;s current total<\/td><td><strong>236<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Verstappen&#8217;s deficit<\/td><td><strong>129<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Remaining Grands Prix<\/td><td>5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Maximum remaining points<\/td><td>125<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Verstappen&#8217;s theoretical maximum<\/td><td><strong>361<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Points short of Antonelli&#8217;s current total<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>4<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The calculation leaves no possibility of a championship comeback under the remaining scheduled points allocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Even five consecutive victories would not be enough for Verstappen to catch Antonelli.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result also eliminates Leclerc, who trails by 132 points, and Lando Norris, who sits 154 points behind the championship leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only George Russell and Lewis Hamilton remain mathematically capable of challenging Antonelli, although the Mercedes driver holds advantages of 123 and 124 points respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-moves-within-2-points-of-f1-title-as-russell-and-hamilton-survive-austin-showdown\/\">complete championship standings after the United States Grand Prix<\/a><\/strong> confirm that Verstappen&#8217;s pursuit of a fifth World Championship must wait until at least 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First season since 2020 without a final-round title chance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The historical significance of Verstappen&#8217;s elimination becomes clearer when examining the previous six championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2020, the Dutchman finished third in the standings behind Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, collecting 214 points in a season dominated by the German manufacturer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen won twice that year, at Silverstone&#8217;s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but was not a realistic championship contender when the season reached its conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following year transformed his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2021, Verstappen challenged Hamilton throughout one of Formula 1&#8217;s most dramatic seasons, arriving at the Abu Dhabi finale level on points before securing his first World Championship with a controversial last-lap overtake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That victory began four consecutive title-winning campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen retained the championship in 2022, clinching it at the Japanese Grand Prix, and followed with an overwhelmingly dominant 2023 season, securing the title during the Qatar sprint weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His fourth title came in 2024 at Las Vegas, despite Red Bull losing much of the performance advantage it had enjoyed earlier in the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sequence ended in 2025, when McLaren&#8217;s Norris finally defeated Verstappen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, <strong>Verstappen remained in championship contention until the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi<\/strong>, winning the race but finishing two points behind Norris in the final standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although 2025 was Verstappen&#8217;s first season without a championship since 2020, it was not a year in which his title hopes ended before the final round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The 2026 season is the first since 2020 in which he has been mathematically eliminated with races still remaining.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verstappen&#8217;s World Championship record from 2020 to 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Season<\/th><th>Championship outcome<\/th><th>Title status at final round<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>2020<\/strong><\/td><td>3rd, 214 points<\/td><td>Already eliminated<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2021<\/td><td>World Champion<\/td><td>Decided at Abu Dhabi finale<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2022<\/td><td>World Champion<\/td><td>Title secured before finale<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2023<\/td><td>World Champion<\/td><td>Title secured before finale<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024<\/td><td>World Champion<\/td><td>Title secured before finale<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>2025<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2nd, 421 points<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Still in contention at Abu Dhabi<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>2026<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>4th, 236 points after Austin<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Eliminated with five races remaining<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The 2026 position and points reflect the championship after the United States Grand Prix, not the final standings. Verstappen won the titles from 2021 to 2024 and finished two points behind Norris in 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comparison illustrates how unusual the current situation has become for Verstappen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For five seasons, the championship remained either in his possession or within his mathematical reach until the final round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, despite several impressive performances and Red Bull&#8217;s improvement during the second half of the year, that sequence has ended before Formula 1 even arrives in Mexico City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Red Bull&#8217;s late recovery came too late to save Verstappen&#8217;s title challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen&#8217;s elimination does not mean Red Bull has failed to improve during 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the contrary, the team&#8217;s recent recovery has been one of the most important developments of the second half of the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After struggling with performance and consistency during the opening rounds, Red Bull introduced developments that gradually restored its ability to challenge Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The improvement became particularly evident when Verstappen won consecutive Grands Prix in Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those victories suggested that Red Bull had rediscovered enough competitiveness to fight regularly at the front, particularly on circuits where the car&#8217;s aerodynamic characteristics and tyre management worked effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/verstappen-exposes-red-bulls-austin-mistakes-and-admits-antonelli-was-out-of-reach\/\">The Dutchman&#8217;s recovery brought renewed attention to Red Bull&#8217;s technical progress<\/a><\/strong>, but the championship situation remained difficult because Antonelli had already established a substantial points advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin offered another opportunity to continue reducing the deficit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen qualified second, just 0.179 seconds behind Antonelli, while teammate Isack Hadjar secured third, placing two Red Bulls among the leading three starters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the race exposed limitations that had not disappeared despite the team&#8217;s recent victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen struggled with traction at the start, allowing Leclerc to move ahead temporarily. Although the Dutchman recovered second place, Antonelli had already established a useful lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strategic contest also developed unfavourably for Red Bull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting on soft tyres, Verstappen was unable to extract the performance the team expected, while Mercedes benefited from a longer opening stint on mediums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Red Bull eventually committed to two pit stops, while Antonelli completed the race with one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Italian&#8217;s stronger pace after his tyre change allowed Mercedes to consolidate its advantage, leaving Verstappen unable to challenge for victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferrari&#8217;s Leclerc also overtook the Dutchman during the closing stages, relegating him to third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result demonstrated that <strong>Red Bull had recovered enough performance to win races, but not enough consistency to erase Antonelli&#8217;s championship advantage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verstappen admits Red Bull lacked pace to beat Antonelli<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman&#8217;s assessment after Austin reinforced that conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to Sky Sports F1, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/verstappen-exposes-red-bulls-austin-mistakes-and-admits-antonelli-was-out-of-reach\/\">Verstappen identified incorrect tyre choices and recurring power-unit problems as major reasons for Red Bull&#8217;s defeat<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He explained that the softer compounds had performed below expectations, leaving Red Bull committed to a less effective strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We were just on the wrong tyres,&#8221; Verstappen admitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman also criticised the order in which the compounds had been used during the race, suggesting that an alternative approach could have improved the final result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, his difficulties were not limited to strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen revealed that inconsistent engine braking and gearshifts had affected him throughout the weekend, making it difficult to maintain the same driving rhythm from lap to lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Lap after lap, corner after corner, I&#8217;m having different kinds of problems with my engine braking or shifts as well,&#8221; he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those technical difficulties added to a race in which Red Bull was already struggling to match Mercedes&#8217; tyre performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet Verstappen acknowledged that correcting those problems would probably not have been sufficient to defeat Antonelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we had the pace of Kimi, but maybe we could have been second.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The admission is particularly revealing in the context of the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even after Red Bull&#8217;s recent improvement, Verstappen recognised that Mercedes remained capable of delivering a level of performance his team could not match on certain weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That difference helped turn an already difficult championship challenge into a mathematically impossible one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Antonelli takes over the role Verstappen held for four years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a significant contrast between Verstappen&#8217;s situation and Antonelli&#8217;s rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From 2021 to 2024, Verstappen became the defining driver of Formula 1, combining relentless consistency with Red Bull&#8217;s technical strength to win four consecutive championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even during difficult periods, the Dutchman frequently extracted results that kept him ahead of rivals whose cars appeared stronger at individual circuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025, that ability nearly delivered another title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen mounted a strong late-season comeback against McLaren, eventually finishing only two points behind Norris after winning the Abu Dhabi finale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2026 championship has developed differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Antonelli has become the driver consistently converting opportunities into victories<\/strong>, even as Mercedes&#8217; advantage over rival teams has narrowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Italian has already won nine Grands Prix this season, while Verstappen has two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That difference reflects not only the competitiveness of the respective cars but also how effectively Mercedes and Antonelli have managed the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Austin, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-denies-verstappen-in-austin-qualifying-as-ferraris-pole-hopes-collapse\/\">Antonelli secured pole despite the challenges Mercedes faced during practice<\/a><\/strong>, then delivered a controlled victory by executing the most effective tyre strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contrast with Verstappen&#8217;s race was striking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes completed a successful one-stop strategy, while Red Bull struggled with compound performance and the limitations of its two-stop approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-reveals-bold-mercedes-strategy-call-after-austin-win-and-sets-sights-on-f1-title-in-mexico\/\">Antonelli subsequently revealed that he had advocated the winning strategy himself<\/a><\/strong>, an indication of his growing influence over race decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toto Wolff also praised the Italian&#8217;s composure and explained how Mercedes had resisted the temptation to react to Red Bull&#8217;s early pit stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team calculated that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-stunned-wolff-with-private-pre-race-confession-before-defeating-verstappen-in-austin\/\">one stop would be approximately 8 seconds quicker<\/a><\/strong>, and the decision ultimately proved decisive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Verstappen, the experience represented another reminder that Red Bull&#8217;s recovery had arrived too late to overturn the points deficit accumulated earlier in the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-corrida-red-bull-max-verstappen-09-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"F1 2026, ESTADOS UNIDOS, AUSTIN, CORRIDA, RED BULL RACING, MAX VERSTAPPEN\" class=\"wp-image-1020319216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-corrida-red-bull-max-verstappen-09-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-corrida-red-bull-max-verstappen-09-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-corrida-red-bull-max-verstappen-09-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-corrida-red-bull-max-verstappen-09-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-corrida-red-bull-max-verstappen-09-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-corrida-red-bull-max-verstappen-09-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Max Verstappen (Photo: Red Bull Content Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verstappen still has a major championship battle ahead in 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Verstappen can no longer win the Drivers&#8217; Championship, the final five races retain considerable significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman currently occupies fourth place with <strong>236 points<\/strong>, only five behind Hamilton and six behind Russell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leclerc is also close behind, with 233 points, while Norris sits sixth on 211.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fight for second place therefore remains extremely competitive, despite Antonelli&#8217;s overwhelming advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 2026 \u2014 Battle behind Antonelli after United States GP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Pos.<\/th><th>Driver<\/th><th>Team<\/th><th>Points<\/th><th>Gap to Antonelli<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>G. RUSSELL<\/td><td>Mercedes<\/td><td>242<\/td><td>-123<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>L. HAMILTON<\/td><td>Ferrari<\/td><td>241<\/td><td>-124<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>4<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>M. VERSTAPPEN<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Red Bull<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>236<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-129<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>C. LECLERC<\/td><td>Ferrari<\/td><td>233<\/td><td>-132<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>L. NORRIS<\/td><td>McLaren<\/td><td>211<\/td><td>-154<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Extract of the Drivers&#8217; Championship showing the battle behind the leader. The<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-moves-within-2-points-of-f1-title-as-russell-and-hamilton-survive-austin-showdown\/\"><em>complete 23-driver classification<\/em><\/a> <em>is available in the updated standings report.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen has every opportunity to improve his final championship position, particularly if Red Bull can maintain the competitive form it demonstrated in Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Constructors&#8217; Championship provides another important objective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Red Bull leaves Austin level with McLaren on <strong>355 points<\/strong>, with the two teams fighting for third position behind Mercedes and Ferrari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hadjar&#8217;s performances have become increasingly important in that contest. The Frenchman qualified third in Austin and finished sixth, contributing eight points to the team&#8217;s total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His results mean Red Bull is no longer relying exclusively on Verstappen for its championship progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That could prove decisive over the final five rounds, particularly if McLaren continues struggling to match the leading teams consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-dominates-again-ferrari-fights-back-and-bortoleto-recovers-5-lessons-from-austin\/\">five main lessons from the United States Grand Prix<\/a><\/strong> also highlight the changing balance among Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren as the championship approaches its conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mexico begins a different final chapter for Verstappen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mexican Grand Prix on November 1 will be Verstappen&#8217;s first race since his mathematical elimination from the 2026 title battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event offers Red Bull an opportunity to recover from the difficulties experienced in Austin, particularly those involving tyre strategy and power-unit consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aut\u00f3dromo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez presents a unique technical challenge because of its high altitude, which influences cooling, aerodynamic efficiency and power-unit operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those characteristics will place additional demands on Red Bull&#8217;s technical package, particularly after Verstappen&#8217;s complaints about inconsistent engine braking and gearshifts at Circuit of The Americas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Mercedes, the weekend could bring the championship confirmation that Austin failed to deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/what-does-andrea-kimi-antonelli-need-to-win-the-2026-f1-title-in-mexico\/\">Andrea Kimi Antonelli needs only ninth place in Mexico to become World Champion<\/a><\/strong>, regardless of the results achieved by Russell and Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen, meanwhile, will pursue a different objective: returning to victory contention, helping Red Bull in the Constructors&#8217; Championship and strengthening his position in the fight for second place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman has already shown that he can win races even when Red Bull is no longer the dominant force on the grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the challenge of 2026 is now different from the previous five seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>For the first time since 2020, Verstappen will approach the final stages of Formula 1 without either having secured the World Championship or retaining a mathematical chance of winning it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His pursuit of a fifth title will have to begin again in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> is following the build-up to the Mexican Grand Prix at Aut\u00f3dromo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez, with breaking news, championship analysis, technical developments and full coverage in its <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1 section<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrea Kimi Antonelli&#8217;s United States Grand Prix victory leaves Max Verstappen 129 points behind with only 125 available. The Red Bull driver had won four consecutive titles and fought until the final race in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020319213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Max Verstappen ","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Red Bull Content Pool","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":7,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[325,64,66,718],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-4470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-f1-2026","tag-max-verstappen","tag-red-bull","tag-united-states-gp","42wp_author-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4470"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4471,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4470\/revisions\/4471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020319213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4470"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}