Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. Photo: FLORENT GOODEN / PHOTOSPORT
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris no longer have to worry about the constructors' crown as they duel for the Formula 1 driver's title, but the McLaren pair should still be wary of Max Verstappen in Texas this weekend.
Austin's Circuit of the Americas marks the start of the season's final quarter, the first of three remaining Saturday sprints as well as the first race since McLaren secured the constructors' championship for the second year running.
Australian Piastri leads his British rival by 22 points with six of 24 rounds remaining while Red Bull's Verstappen is 63 points off the lead.
If the four-times world champion's task sounds more than a long shot, the fact remains that he has clawed back 41 points from Piastri in his last three outings and also beaten both McLarens in those three races.
Austin is very much to Verstappen's liking, the Dutch driver winning there in 2021, 2022 and 2023 before Ferrari enjoyed a one-two last year with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen still won the sprint in 2024, however, and can never be counted out - arriving this time after four successive podiums.
Norris took pole position in Austin last year but finished fourth with Verstappen third.
Piastri's best result in Austin is fifth last year, after failing to score in the sprint when he finished 10th from 16th on the grid, and this time he risks a third successive race off the podium.
Ferrari are the only top four team yet to win this season but seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who replaced Sainz at the end of last year, is a five-times winner in Austin.
George Russell, winner for Mercedes in Singapore, will be chasing a third triumph of the season with a new contract for 2026 freshly inked, keeping him alongside Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli for at least another year.
New Zealand's Liam Lawson will be hoping to get back into the points after finishing 15th in Singapore.
Racing Bull's have a special pearlescent black and amber tortoise pattern livery for the United States Grand Prix which was introduced alongside multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and producer Shaboozey.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Photo: Xavi Bonilla / PHOTOSPORT
Formula 1 statistics for the US Grand Prix
Lap distance: 5.513km. Total distance: 308.405km (56 laps)
2024 race winner: Charles Leclerc (Monaco) Ferrari
2024 pole position: Lando Norris (Britain) McLaren one minute 32.330 seconds.
Race lap record: Leclerc, Ferrari, 1:36.169 (2019)
Start time: 08:00 (Monday NZ time)/1400 local
The Circuit of the Americas is hosting the US Grand Prix for the 13th time and using the sprint format for the third year in a row.
Lewis Hamilton (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Max Verstappen (2021, 2022, 2023) and Leclerc (2024) are the only active F1 drivers to have won in Austin.
McLaren have only one win at the Texas circuit, with Hamilton in 2012.
Hamilton is the most successful driver in US GP history with six victories (one at Indianapolis).
Hamilton has started three times on pole position. Verstappen (from sixth in 2023) and Leclerc (from fourth) are the only drivers to have won after starting off the front row of the grid.
The 20-turn circuit runs counter-clockwise, one of nine on the calendar to do so, and is naturally undulating with a steep incline up to a hairpin from the start. It is quite high downforce and weather can be unpredictable.
Drivers' championship
McLaren's Oscar Piastri leads teammate Norris by 22 points with six rounds, and three Saturday sprint races, remaining. Red Bull's Max Verstappen is third and 63 points off the lead.
Constructors' title
Defending champions McLaren clinched the team's 10th constructors' championship at this month's Singapore Grand Prix.
Wins
Piastri has won seven times this season, Norris five, Verstappen four and Mercedes' George Russell twice.
Hamilton has not won since his career 105th victory in Belgium on July 28, 2024. Ferrari have not won since Mexico on October 27 last year.
Verstappen has won 67 grands prix and is third on the all-time list after Michael Schumacher on 91.
McLaren have won 12 of 18 races this year.
Pole position
Verstappen has been on pole six times this season, Piastri five, Norris four, Russell twice and Leclerc once.
Piastri and Norris have both been on the podium 14 times in 18 races.
Piastri has now been absent from the podium in two successive races, the first time that has happened this season.
Leclerc's second place in Monaco remains Ferrari's best of the season. The Monegasque has five podiums for the season. Hamilton has yet to stand on the podium for Ferrari.
Nine drivers from seven teams have been on the podium in 2025.
Points
Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto is the only driver on the grid yet to score this year.
No driver has scored in every race.
-RNZ/Reuters
