Monday (the 19th) officially opened the United States Grand Prix week, as Formula 1 returns its focus to Austin. Kimi Antonelli arrives at the Circuit of the Americas with his first real opportunity to clinch the 2026 title, while Max Verstappen will see a significant change at Red Bull, with Tom Hart taking on the role of race engineer.
Antonelli leads the World Championship and could mathematically secure the title as early as this weekend, though it depends on a very specific combination of results involving George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The Italian has also requested adjustments to Mercedes’ setup for Austin and hopes to use all three free practice sessions to better understand the W17 and to extract more from the latest updates.
In Red Bull, Verstappen begins a new transition phase. Tom Hart will serve as his race engineer for the United States Grand Prix, replacing Gianpiero Lambiase as part of the lead-up to the Briton’s definitive departure. The four-time champion arrives buoyed by two consecutive victories and noted that Red Bull’s recovery in 2026 has had different characteristics from the reaction seen the previous year.
Gabriel Bortoleto also stood out during the day after revealing that he frequently chats with Verstappen about his evolution and Audi’s development. The Brazilian said he is trying to understand how Red Bull organized itself before becoming champions and even takes advantage of moments in virtual races to seek advice from the Dutch driver.
McLaren, on the other hand, continues without expectations of major changes for the rest of the season. Oscar Piastri said he is managing better with the car’s difficulties, but he still does not feel fully comfortable and does not anticipate a quick fix for the MCL40’s issues.
Austin will also see fresh developments beyond the direct title fight. Cadillac is preparing minor updates to the underfloor and cooling system and will place Colton Herta in FP1, while Haas revealed a special livery inspired by the new Godzilla movie for its home race. The event will take place from Friday to Sunday, with the race scheduled for 5:00 PM Brasília time (GMT -3).
