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Upcoming race · 2026 · Round 18 · USA

Scheduled

United States Grand Prix

Austin’s 5.513 km lap combines 20 corners with fast changes of direction. The 2026 tyre selection is C2 Hard, C3 Medium and C4 Soft.

5d 22h 26mUntil the scheduled race · at page load

Race start
Austin · America/Chicago

Max Verstappen leads the pre weekend projected order.

The circuit

Circuit of the Americas ↗

Approximate community-mapped circuit outline. OpenStreetMap source.

Highlights show turn groups, not official timing sectors.

© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL 1.0.

Map data: OSM XML · GeoJSON · source details.

Lap length
5.513 km
Corners
20
Direction
Anticlockwise

Session

Practice 1


Scheduled

Session

Practice 2


Scheduled

Session

Practice 3


Scheduled

Session

Qualifying


Scheduled

Grand Prix

Race


Scheduled
Schedule checked ·

Sources

Source notes

Race forecast

Who is expected to finish ahead?

The projected order and your pick for the win.

Vote for your winner ↗

Model forecast · Pre Weekend

Projected finishing order

All 22 drivers, ordered by expected finish. Win and podium chances are estimates.

Pre Weekend projected finishing order for United States Grand Prix
RankDriverExpected finishWinPodium
01Max VerstappenRed Bull4.4016.5%44.4%
02George RussellMercedes4.8213.3%39.1%
03Andrea Kimi AntonelliMercedes4.8612.7%38.4%
04Charles LeclercFerrari5.1012.5%35.3%
05Lando NorrisMcLaren5.4210.4%31.7%
06Lewis HamiltonFerrari5.6110.0%29.4%
07Oscar PiastriMcLaren6.277.6%25.2%
08Isack HadjarRed Bull7.854.6%16.6%
09Liam LawsonRB F1 Team10.342.4%7.7%
10Arvid LindbladRB F1 Team11.151.8%6.0%
11Pierre GaslyAlpine F1 Team11.281.9%5.8%
12Nico HülkenbergAudi13.250.9%3.7%
13Franco ColapintoAlpine F1 Team13.271.1%3.2%
14Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team14.120.7%2.6%
15Gabriel BortoletoAudi14.161.0%3.3%
16Carlos SainzWilliams14.910.7%2.0%
17Esteban OconHaas F1 Team15.180.6%2.0%
18Alexander AlbonWilliams17.060.2%1.0%
19Fernando AlonsoAston Martin17.410.3%1.1%
20Lance StrollAston Martin18.450.3%0.7%
21Sergio PérezCadillac F1 Team18.550.2%0.7%
22Valtteri BottasCadillac F1 Team19.540.2%0.3%

Expected finish is the average modeled position.

Based on the provisional race field.

Position ranges & forecast history ↗

Fan picks

Who will win?

1 pick · Pre Weekend

Max Verstappen1 pick
100.0%
George Russell0 picks
0.0%
Andrea Kimi Antonelli0 picks
0.0%
Charles Leclerc0 picks
0.0%
Lando Norris0 picks
0.0%
Lewis Hamilton0 picks
0.0%
Oscar Piastri0 picks
0.0%
Isack Hadjar0 picks
0.0%
Liam Lawson0 picks
0.0%
Arvid Lindblad0 picks
0.0%
Pierre Gasly0 picks
0.0%
Nico Hülkenberg0 picks
0.0%
Franco Colapinto0 picks
0.0%
Oliver Bearman0 picks
0.0%
Gabriel Bortoleto0 picks
0.0%
Carlos Sainz0 picks
0.0%
Esteban Ocon0 picks
0.0%
Alexander Albon0 picks
0.0%
Fernando Alonso0 picks
0.0%
Lance Stroll0 picks
0.0%
Sergio Pérez0 picks
0.0%
Valtteri Bottas0 picks
0.0%
Pick your winner ↗

Voting closes

The Austin lap

What does it take to win here?

Track guide: Pirelli, 2025. Watch points are F1Fix interpretation.

01

Speed without losing stability

Pirelli describes a lap mixing fast direction changes with technical corners and a need for straight-line speed. The setup has to work across all three demands.

What to watch
Watch the balance between fast-corner commitment and speed on the straights.

02

Manage the heat in the tyres

Austin’s fast corners put sideways loads through the tyres, making heat management important. A quick lap alone does not show how well a car can sustain a stint.

What to watch
Watch repeatable long-run pace as the tyres age, allowing for fuel and traffic.

03

A softer Hard for 2026

C2 HardC3 MediumC4 Soft

Pirelli replaces 2025’s C1 Hard with C2. Its nomination report says teams favoured the softer options last year.

What to watch
Whether C2 gives teams a useful longer-stint option.

Sources

Source notes

How tyre management affects race pace ↗

Circuit history

From the race archive

Earlier Grand Prix results at this venue, with sample dates shown below.

Different winners

2 different drivers won the 3 stored Grand Prix races at Circuit of the Americas with race-start dates 2023-10-22 to 2025-10-19 UTC. Sprint races are excluded.

Circuit results ↗

F1Fix calculation from stored Jolpica classifications
Retrieved

Most wins in this sample

The largest win total in this 3-race sample is 2/3, held by Max Verstappen. This counts only the stored races in the sample.

Circuit results ↗

F1Fix calculation from stored Jolpica classifications
Retrieved

Where the winners started

Of 3 winners with a positive recorded grid position, 1 started from pole and 1 started in the first three positions. A positive grid position is stored for 3/3 winners.

Circuit results ↗

F1Fix calculation from stored Jolpica classifications
Retrieved

Circuit history

Recent winners & podiums

3 Grands Prix · –. Sprints excluded.

Different winners
2Across 3 Grands Prix
Winners from pole
1 / 3With a recorded grid position
Winners starting in the top 3
1 / 3With a recorded grid position
Furthest-back winning start
P6In this sample
Recent Grand Prix winners, winning constructor, starting grid and podium
RaceWinnerWinning teamWinner’s grid2nd3rd
2025 ↗Max VerstappenRed BullP1Lando NorrisMcLarenCharles LeclercFerrari
2024 ↗Charles LeclercFerrariP4Carlos SainzFerrariMax VerstappenRed Bull
2023 ↗Max VerstappenRed BullP6Lando NorrisMcLarenCarlos SainzFerrari

Max Verstappen: 2/3 · Charles Leclerc: 1/3 wins in this sample of up to five Grands Prix.

Sources

Source notes

Who has been winning recently?

4 different winners in the last 6 completed Grands Prix before this event: –. Sprints excluded.

Races & sources in this sample

This weekend

Event notes

Strategy Confirmed Fact

Pirelli nominated C2 Hard, C3 Medium and C4 Soft for the 2026 United States Grand Prix.

Pirelli / F1Fix editorial ↗

Checked

Forecast history

Previous published versions

Across the season

2026 race archive.