Verstappen Wins in Austin as Antonelli's Title Wait Goes On: Norris Closes to 14 Points Behind Piastri

AUSTIN, Texas — Max Verstappen won the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, 25 October 2026, beating McLaren's Lando Norris into second place while championship leader Oscar Piastri finished fifth, a result that cut Norris's deficit to Piastri to 14 points and kept Verstappen himself in the title hunt, 40 points behind, with five grands prix and two sprint races still to run, according to the Associated Press race report.

Illustration: Formula 1 style race cars speeding around a Texas race track at sunset, with grandstands in the background.

What Happened

Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, controlled the race from the front and was never seriously challenged for the lead, the AP reported, building a lead of about 10 seconds by the halfway point as Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fought a furious battle for second place behind him. Norris eventually passed Leclerc late in the race to secure second, while Leclerc finished third and Lewis Hamilton fourth, according to race reporting. Piastri, who started sixth, made up a place in the opening corners but was then stuck in fifth for the rest of the afternoon.

The victory was Verstappen's third in four races, continuing a late-season surge that has transformed the championship. Before the Austin weekend, Piastri led Norris by 22 points and Verstappen by 55 points; after Sunday's race, those gaps stood at 14 and 40 points respectively, the AP reported. Piastri has now gone without a win since the Dutch Grand Prix on 31 August and without a podium finish in the last three races, a run that has allowed both of his rivals to close in.

The weekend had already delivered drama before Sunday's main race. In Saturday's sprint race, Verstappen also won after both McLarens collided at the first corner and retired, the AP reported, a crash that followed an earlier flashpoint between the McLaren teammates at the Singapore Grand Prix, where Norris was penalised for contact with Piastri. Mercedes' George Russell finished sixth in Sunday's race, while rookie Kimi Antonelli, who had arrived in Austin with his first mathematical chance of clinching the championship, ended the weekend without the title after an early-race incident dropped him out of contention, according to race reporting.

Background

Antonelli's presence at the top of the standings had been the story of the season's second half. The Mercedes teenager had taken pole position several times during 2026 and arrived in Texas as the driver with the first opportunity to seal the championship, which is why the Austin weekend was billed in advance as a potential coronation. Instead, the weekend belonged to Verstappen and to the McLaren duel, and the championship now heads to Mexico City with three drivers still in realistic contention.

McLaren's internal dynamics have become as closely watched as the points table. Piastri and Norris are chasing their first career drivers' championships, and the team has spent the season trying to manage two title contenders in equal machinery. The Singapore penalty and the Austin sprint collision have tested that management in public, with the team's leadership first blaming Sauber's Nico Hülkenberg for the sprint crash before retracting that criticism and acknowledging the complexity of the incident, according to reporting on the weekend.

Verstappen, by contrast, is hunting a fifth consecutive drivers' title, and his recent form — three victories in four race weekends, including the Austin sprint — has given him what the AP described as a real chance of catching the McLarens. His dominance in Austin was total: once clear at the front, he was able to manage his pace while his rivals fought over the remaining podium places.

Illustration: Three race cars battling closely on track beneath the silhouette of a championship trophy.

Why It Matters

The Austin result matters because it turned a championship that had looked like a two-way McLaren contest into a genuine three-way fight. With five races and two sprints remaining, there are still enough points available for any of the three leaders to win the title, and the gaps — 14 points between first and second, 40 between first and third — are small enough that a single retirement or a single victory can reorder the standings.

It also matters for McLaren's handling of its two drivers. Every remaining race will force the team to balance the interests of a championship leader trying to protect his advantage against a teammate who is now close enough to overtake him, all while Verstappen attacks from third. How the team manages team orders, pit strategy and on-track battles in the final races could decide the championship as surely as raw pace.

For Verstappen and Red Bull, Austin was proof that their late-season resurgence is not a one-race story. Three wins in four weekends, including a sprint victory, suggests a car and driver combination that has found form at exactly the moment when the championship is decided. If that form continues in Mexico City, where Verstappen has historically been strong, the pressure on both McLarens will only grow.

What Happens Next

The series next heads to Mexico City, where the Mexican Grand Prix is scheduled for 30 October 2026 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, followed by São Paulo on 6 November, Las Vegas on 19 November, Qatar on 27 November and the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 4 December. Each remaining weekend also includes sprint races at two of the events, adding extra points to the fight.

The immediate questions are whether Piastri can rediscover the winning form that built his lead, whether Norris can sustain the momentum of his Austin second place, and whether Verstappen's run continues on a circuit where he has won five times before. Antonelli, meanwhile, remains a factor: although his first title chance passed in Austin, he will have further opportunities to influence the championship from the front of the grid.

For fans, the key number is simple. Norris trails Piastri by 14 points and Verstappen trails by 40, with five races and two sprints to go. The championship that looked settled in August is now wide open, and the next race in Mexico City could change the order again.

Illustration: A race track winding through a stadium section packed with cheering fans in Mexico City.

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FAQ

Who won the 2026 United States Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on 25 October 2026, ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in second and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third, according to the Associated Press race report.

What are the championship standings after Austin?

Oscar Piastri still leads the drivers' championship, but Lando Norris has closed to within 14 points of him, while Max Verstappen is 40 points behind Piastri in third, the AP reported.

Did Kimi Antonelli win the championship in Austin?

No. Antonelli arrived in Austin with his first mathematical chance to clinch the title, but an early-race incident ended his hopes for that weekend, and the championship remains undecided.

What happened in the Austin sprint race?

Verstappen also won Saturday's sprint race after both McLaren cars collided at the first corner and retired, the AP reported.

What race is next?

The Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City, scheduled for 30 October 2026, followed by São Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar and the Abu Dhabi season finale, with two sprint races still to run.

Sources

• Associated Press, "Verstappen wins US Grand Prix and McLaren's Norris pulls closer to teammate Piastri in F1 title hunt," 25 October 2026
• Nation Press, "Antonelli takes pole at 2026 United States GP, Verstappen P2," 25 October 2026 (cited only for Antonelli arriving in Austin with a first chance to be crowned champion)
• Speedcafe, "F1 news: Oscar Piastri admits McLaren United States GP struggles are a 'head scratcher'," 25 October 2026