F1 next heads to Austin as the Circuit of the Americas hosts the United States Grand Prix - and the fourth sprint weekend of the 2025 season.
McLaren title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris clashed last time out in Singapore, with the Australian upset after his teammate’s lap one overtake involved contact between the two cars. Norris finished third, a spot ahead of Piastri, and narrowed the deficit in the world championship to 22 points with six rounds to go. McLaren have since stated that Norris faces “repercussions” following the incident.
Max Verstappen finished second in Singapore and is 63 points off Piastri in the title race, while George Russell claimed his second victory of the season in the city-state. The British driver, alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli, extended his contract with Mercedes on Wednesday.
As for Ferrari, it was another difficult weekend in Singapore as Lewis Hamilton still searches for his first podium of the season. Charles Leclerc won last year’s race in Austin, as the Scuderia claimed a one-two finish.
Follow live updates of the US Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Round 19 of the 2025 season takes place in Austin, Texas
- The sprint race starts at 6pm (BST)
- Max Verstappen on pole for the sprint; Norris 2nd; Piastri 3rd
- McLaren say Lando Norris faces 'repercussions' for move on Oscar Piastri in Singapore
- READ: Inside George Russell's new £30m-a-year Mercedes contract
Start times this weekend in Austin:
Friday 17 October 2025 16:57 , Kieran JacksonTimes BST
Saturday 18 October
- Sprint race: 6pm
- Qualifying: 10pm
Sunday 19 October
- Race: 8pm
Max Verstappen after taking pole for the sprint:
17:29 , Kieran Jackson“It was a nice qualifying, it’s about trying to put it all together, not easy but worked out well. I still expect it to be a tough battle tomorrow in the sprint.
“You have to leave a few margins here and there but this has been a very good day.
“Just got to try and have a good start and have pace in the race.”
READ: Inside George Russell’s new Mercedes deal – and why Brit is now poised for F1 title charge
17:22 , Kieran JacksonBy Kieran Jackson
For all the column inches and social media conjecture throughout most of this year’s Formula One season, George Russell has seldom looked rattled at the myriad of questions thrown his way. Week after week, with a smile and an eyebrow arched, the 27-year-old has repeatedly knocked back suggestions of a shock exit from Mercedes despite the 2025 season, and his original deal, just six rounds from a conclusion.
Yet there was no rush. Once Max Verstappen had committed to Red Bull for next season, officially back in July, it was simply a formality, and now both Russell and 19-year-old Italian teammate Kimi Antonelli have penned fresh terms with Mercedes.
Full piece below:
Inside Russell’s new Mercedes deal – and why Brit is now poised for F1 title charge
Hamilton says Ferrari have a 'mountain to climb'
17:15 , Kieran Jackson“That was definitely not the pace we were expecting.
“It was looking good in practice, Q1 was pretty decent, then it started to fall away from us. The car is very tough to drive, eight-tenths is a mountain to climb.”
Top-10 - driver standings
17:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 336 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 314 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 273 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 237 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 173 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 127 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 88 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 70 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 39 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points
Driver Standings heading into this weekend
17:00 , Kieran JacksonPiastri has a 22-point lead at the top:
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 336 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 314 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 273 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 237 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 173 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 127 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 88 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 70 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 39 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 34 points
12. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 32 points
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 30 points
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 28 points
16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 20 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 20 points
18. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 18 points
19. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 18 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
A reminder of the starting grid for the sprint:
16:45 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Nico Hulkenberg
5. George Russell
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Charles Leclerc
11. Kimi Antonelli
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Lance Stroll
15. Liam Lawson
16. Ollie Bearman
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Yuki Tsunoda
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Gabriel Bortoleto
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies:
16:30 , Kieran JacksonOn Verstappen’s sprint pole: “We knew it was going to be touch and go, Lando had a very good lap. Max was line-on-line, but in the last corners he sent it in to get the pole.
“He surprises us every time he gets into the car, he’s unbelievable.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff:
16:00 , Kieran JacksonOn attempts to sign Verstappen: “There wasn’t any ‘on purpose’ flirting, it’s clear we needed to have the conversation - we ended up in the same place in the summer, it was destabilising for everyone, but we move on now and everything is sorted.
On 2026: “I’m so happy that these cars that we finally get rid of them, we go back to something that is hopefully easier to understand - I’m happy we’re changing.”
On Russell/Verstappen in 2027: “Certainly good entertainment for everyone! But we don’t want to create any rumours, and it’s a good line-up.”
Lando Norris to face ‘repercussions’ after Singapore collision with Oscar Piastri
15:00 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris will face “repercussions” after McLaren held him responsible for the first-lap collision with Oscar Piastri in Singapore.
“Lando has taken responsibility for that,” Piastri said. “I think it’s quite clear for us as a team that how lap one unfolded wasn’t how we want to go racing.”
Norris accepted the team’s decision to blame him for the incident. He also suggested that the unspecified consequences dealt out to him would be noticeable.
“The team held me accountable for what happened, which I think is fair,” Norris said. “Then we made progress from there on and understanding what the repercussions were for myself.
Martin Brundle on Lando Norris' potential 'consequences'
14:00 , Kieran Jackson“It’s slightly odd, but I think what McLaren are doing for the sport is really good - they can race from lights out until the chequered flag, with one rule: don’t crash into one another.
“If we were in a development race, it would be Oscar getting the new parts first. If you need a slipstream, Oscar would get priority. If it’s that sort of intra-team thing, which doesn’t hand an advantage to other teams.”
SPECIAL REPORT: How Palestine’s ‘Speed Sisters’ allowed girls to dream in the face of war
13:00 , Kieran JacksonBy Kieran Jackson
Pondering the start of a remarkable journey, Palestinian aid worker Maysoon Jayyusi remembers the moment vividly. “I had to drive fast to avoid getting hit,” she says, matter-of-factly. “Young people and soldiers fired tear gas and threw stones at us.
“It was simple: I started driving fast to avoid getting caught.”
Full piece below:
How Palestine’s ‘Speed Sisters’ allowed girls to dream in the face of war
George Russell convinced he has the best seat in Formula One at Mercedes
13:00 , Kieran Jackson“I think if every single seat was available right now and I could choose any single seat to race for the 2026 season I would choose Mercedes,” Russell said.
“I think a number of drivers would do so as well.
“Nobody can foresee what’s going to happen in the future and I’m sure there are going to be big uncertainties and unknowns going into next year and surprises, good and bad.
“But you can only make a decision based on the information you have in the moment and with all the info I have, I’m super happy.
Piastri's immediate reaction to Norris clash in Singapore
11:10 , Kieran JacksonConstructors' Championship heading into Austin:
10:00 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 650 points (champions)
2. Mercedes - 325 points
3. Ferrari - 300 points
4. Red Bull - 290 points
5. Williams - 102 points
6. Racing Bulls - 72 points
7. Aston Martin - 66 points
8. Sauber - 55 points
9. Haas - 46 points
10. Alpine - 20 points
Christian Horner ‘played a character’ at Red Bull, claims Susie Wolff
09:00 , Kieran JacksonSusie Wolff has suggested that Christian Horner “played a character very well” during his time running the Red Bull team and that the allegations surrounding him were “a real shame” for F1.
Horner was relieved of his duties as Red Bull F1 team principal back in July after 20 years and 14 world titles at the team he built from the bottom up.
He officially left last month, having received an £80m pay-off, and Laurent Mekies was installed as his replacement as both chief executive and team principal.
Full quotes below:
Christian Horner ‘played a character’ at Red Bull, claims Susie Wolff
Martin Brundle on Norris-Piastri squabble at McLaren:
08:00 , Kieran Jackson“There's a championship to be won, they've both got a fantastic car. Max is in the rear-view mirrors in the last few races.
“This setup is doomed to fail, you have two competitive athletes working in a team environment.”
READ: Twenty years on from Indianapolis farce, Austin spectacle typifies F1’s American boom
07:00 , Kieran JacksonFeature by Kieran Jackson
The setting is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: home to the world-famous Indy 500 race. Ahead of the 2005 United States Grand Prix, at a circuit modified for Formula One, ITV pundit and former F1 driver Martin Brundle is interviewing the sport’s long-term supremo and commander-in-chief Bernie Ecclestone on the grid. And you may well say, nothing unusual about that.
What is more unusual is Brundle’s direct, bordering on combative, line of questioning. A huddle of camera crew and journalists huddle around, eager for answers. Because F1’s only race in the land of the free is about to become a farce. Out of 20 cars, only six are set to take to the start line. For the sport and its tempestuous 55-year relationship with the US, it is the ultimate moment of “lunacy”, as Brundle depicts it.
“The future of Formula One in America?” asks Brundle. “Not good,” Ecclestone replies.
It is a far cry from where the sport is stateside now.
Twenty years on from Indiana farce, Austin spectacle typifies F1’s American boom
Christian Horner rumours are distracting for Ferrari, says Lewis Hamilton
06:00 , Kieran JacksonHamilton believes that talk of Horner replacing Fred Vasseur is not helping their cause.
“It is a little bit distracting for us as a team,” Hamilton said ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
“The team have made it clear where things stand in terms of re-signing Fred. Fred and the whole team are working really hard on the future of the team.
“I don’t know where the rumours have come from so I can’t really shed much light on that. These things naturally aren’t helpful. I know everyone back at the factory is working really hard and these kind of rumours can be distracting.
“For me it is trying to keep the focus on the goal in front of us and building next years car so that we can have better execution and better performance.”
What does the 2026 grid look like?
05:00 , Kieran JacksonMcLAREN
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
FERRARI
Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton
RED BULL
Max Verstappen
TBC
MERCEDES
George Russell
Kimi Antonelli
ASTON MARTIN
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
ALPINE
Pierre Gasly
TBC
HAAS
Esteban Ocon
Ollie Bearman
RACING BULLS
TBC
TBC
WILLIAMS
Alex Albon
Carlos Sainz
SAUBER
Nico Hulkenberg
Gabriel Bortoleto
CADILLAC
Sergio Perez
Valtteri Bottas
F1 sells US TV rights to Apple in $140m a year deal
04:00 , Kieran JacksonApple has landed US broadcast rights to F1 in a five-year deal that would help the tech giant bolster its streaming service with one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, following the success of F1: The Movie.
The two sides did not disclose the financial details of the deal on Friday. CNBC reported it was for $140m a year, much higher than the $90m the Walt Disney-owned ESPN was paying each season for F1, which it has broadcast since 2018.
Apple’s deal begins next year. The iPhone maker will stream F1 on Apple TV, its critically acclaimed streaming service that won 22 Emmy awards this year but lacks the scale to compete with industry leaders such as Netflix and Disney+ despite billions of dollars in investment.
Reuters
SPRINT RACE REPORT: Max Verstappen lays down first marker with sprint race pole in Austin
03:00 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen again toppled title-tussling McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to claim pole position for Saturday’s sprint at the United States Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion has tentatively re-emerged as a title contender having beaten the McLaren duo in each of the last three races and closed to within 63 points of championship leader Piastri with six rounds remaining.
Max Verstappen lays down first marker with sprint race pole in Austin
Charles Leclerc, who qualified 10th:
02:00 , Kieran Jackson“I don’t regret much of what I did in my lap. It’s not enough, we are so far behind now.
“I don’t think we can find something to make such a jump, it’s just the potential of our car.”
Full starting grid for sprint race:
01:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Nico Hulkenberg
5. George Russell
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Charles Leclerc
11. Kimi Antonelli
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Lance Stroll
15. Liam Lawson
16. Ollie Bearman
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Yuki Tsunoda
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Gabriel Bortoleto
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified eighth:
Saturday 18 October 2025 00:45 , Kieran Jackson“That was definitely not the pace we were expecting.
“It was looking good in practice, Q1 was pretty decent, then it started to fall away from us. The car is very tough to drive, eight-tenths is a mountain to climb.”
George Russell, who qualified fifth:
Saturday 18 October 2025 00:30 , Kieran Jackson“Could we have been on pole? Definitely not. Congrats to Nico for P4, but today wasn’t a good day. Sprint races are tricky sometimes.
“I think we have a better race car than qualifying car. This is roughly where we’re at.”
Oscar Piastri, who qualified third:
Saturday 18 October 2025 00:10 , Kieran Jackson“A little bit of a messy lap, hopefully can do better tomorrow.
“We’ll see what happens at the start, try and put myself in the right spot, turn one here is tricky, we’ll see what happens out ahead.”
Top-10 in Austin sprint qualifying
Friday 17 October 2025 23:26 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Nico Hulkenberg
5. George Russell
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen on pole for the sprint!
Friday 17 October 2025 23:16 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen pips Norris at the end!
The Dutchman on top by 0.071 seconds to the Brit, with Oscar Piastri in third.
Nico Hulkenberg with a mighty showing, qualifying in fourth!
4-10: Hulkenberg, Russell, Alonso, Sainz, Hamilton, Albon, Leclerc
Late flying laps
Friday 17 October 2025 23:14 , Kieran JacksonAll the drivers are going to set their laps late in the session now.
All on softs. All at the same time. Let’s see who grabs pole!
SQ3 underway!
Friday 17 October 2025 23:09 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then - who will be on pole for tomorrow’s sprint race?
10 drivers involved: Russell, Albon, Sainz, Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Alonso, Hamilton
Leclerc and Hamilton squeeze through
Friday 17 October 2025 23:02 , Kieran JacksonGosh, that was tight for the Ferrari pair!
Both through, with Hamilton in P10 ahead of Kimi Antonelli by just 0.006 seconds right at the end.
Bottom-five and out in SQ2: Antonelli, Hadjar, Gasly, Stroll, Lawson
Time for the top-10 shootout!
Issues for Ferrari
Friday 17 October 2025 22:56 , Kieran JacksonHamilton and Leclerc only ninth and 10th respectively - and four of the bottom-five have opted not to set an early lap!
They may well be in trouble...
Current bottom-five (11-15): Stroll, Hadjar, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Gasly
4:00 to go in SQ2...
SQ2 underway
Friday 17 October 2025 22:50 , Kieran JacksonThis time it’s 10 minutes for the drivers to try and make it into the top-10 shootout!
All the pack on obligatory medium tyres too...
Yuki Tsunoda out in SQ1
Friday 17 October 2025 22:45 , Kieran JacksonTsunoda indeed did not make it to the line, but Leclerc saves himself to make the next session.
Bottom-five (16-20) and out in SQ1: Bearman, Colapinto, Tsunoda, Ocon, Bortoleto
Tsunoda: “I mean... what?!”
Pierre Gasly knocked out Ollie Bearman right at the end as well. Top-3: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri
Tsunoda might not be able to set another lap!
Friday 17 October 2025 22:42 , Kieran JacksonThe Red Bull driver could be in trouble here!
Did his team send Tsunoda out too late? He’ll have to do a very quick out-lap to get to the line in time...
Charles Leclerc in trouble early on
Friday 17 October 2025 22:39 , Kieran JacksonIs that Ferrari car still not working properly?
Leclerc is currently P16 after the first set of laps in SQ1.
Current bottom-five (16-20): Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon, Colapinto, Bortoleto
4:00 to go in SQ1. Albon and Tsunoda are the drivers on the button.
SQ1 underway!
Friday 17 October 2025 22:30 , Kieran JacksonA chaotic queue at the end of the pit-lane as we get underway with SQ1!
Just 12 minutes where we’ll lose the slowest five drivers from the rest of qualifying.
After issues in practice, Charles Leclerc’s car, incidentally, is ready to go, as is Carlos Sainz’s Williams.
How does sprint qualifying work?
Friday 17 October 2025 22:25 , Kieran JacksonSprint qualifying will follow the same Q1-Q2-Q3 format but the session times will be shorter than traditional qualifying: SQ1 (medium tyres) will be 12 minutes, SQ2 (medium tyres) will be 10 minutes and SQ3 (soft tyres) will be eight minutes.
Sprint qualifying coming up!
Friday 17 October 2025 22:20 , Kieran JacksonSo, who will lay down the first marker on this busy weekend in Austin?!
Lando Norris was quickest in practice, can he take pole ahead of McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri.
Never rule out Max Verstappen, though. And where are Mercedes and Ferrari at?
Should be a fascinating watch this!
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella:
Friday 17 October 2025 20:15 , Kieran Jackson“The repercussions are part of our framework, both drivers were keen to have this. For me, it was part of the review to discuss this with out drivers.
“They’ve been accepted and we’re now focused maximising the performance of the car.”
FULL FP1 RESULTS
Friday 17 October 2025 19:51 , Kieran JacksonIt's Lando who leads Nico and Oscar! 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 17, 2025
Here's the full classification from practice here in Austin 📊👇#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/jQ38DgPjvg
What time is sprint qualifying?
Friday 17 October 2025 19:42 , Kieran JacksonThe quickfire sprint qualifying session takes place at 10:30pm (BST).
Lando Norris quickest in FP1!
Friday 17 October 2025 19:33 , Kieran JacksonMcLaren’s pace comes through at the end!
Norris goes fastest with a 1:33:294, two-tenths ahead of a surprise name in second spot in Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.
Oscar Piastri now third-fastest, 0.279 seconds off Norris, with Fernando Alonso in fourth and Max Verstappen fifth. 6
6-10: Albon, Russell, Hamilton, Hadjar, Bearman
Feels like it’s advantage papaya then for sprint qualifying later...
Leclerc has a car issue
Friday 17 October 2025 19:26 , Kieran JacksonLast year’s race winner is out of FP1 - he has an oil issue with his Ferrari.
Sub-optimal.
Most cars in the pits
Friday 17 October 2025 19:20 , Kieran JacksonHard-tyre runs are done and dusted, and most cars are in the pit-lane ahead of a quickfire final 10 minutes, which will be their qualifying simulation laps.
Top-5 is currently: Hamilton, Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Piastri
Lewis Hamilton over team radio:
Friday 17 October 2025 19:09 , Kieran Jackson“The throttle pedal is really slippery for some reason.”
Nonetheless, the Ferrari driver is still quickest, with Lando Norris now second but still some way off by half-a-second.
20 mins left in FP1.
Sainz has a gearbox issue
Friday 17 October 2025 19:04 , Kieran JacksonProblems down at Williams, with Carlos Sainz’s car being taken apart in the garage, due to a suspected gearbox issue.
Looks unlikely he’ll get back out there this session...
Lewis Hamilton fastest after 30 mins
Friday 17 October 2025 19:00 , Kieran JacksonRoom for excitement, perhaps?!
Hamilton P1 after the early runs, five-tenths quicker than Max Verstappen in second, with George Russell a further two-tenths off in third.
All cars still on the hard tyres, for now.
4-10: Tsunoda, Norris, Sainz, Lawson, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Antonelli
GREEN FLAG
Friday 17 October 2025 18:57 , Kieran JacksonSession back underway with 35 minutes remaining.
The debris was from the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, incidentally.
RED FLAG
Friday 17 October 2025 18:56 , Kieran JacksonBit of an odd stoppage, with no crash...
I believe that there’s some debris in sector three which they’ve cleaned up.
Carlos Sainz fastest early on
Friday 17 October 2025 18:41 , Kieran JacksonIt’s quickfire at the start, with all 20 cars straight out on track!
Sainz, who came second here last year, sets a 136:130, 0.050 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen in second, with Alex Albon in fourth.
Just 10 minutes gone in FP1 so far...
FP1 underway!
Friday 17 October 2025 18:30 , Kieran JacksonAnd we are off with the one and only practice session at this fabulous track at the Circuit of the Americas.
Stunning day in Austin, perfect conditions for the driver.
Five minutes until FP1
Friday 17 October 2025 18:25 , Kieran JacksonIt’s an important practice session for the 20 drivers today.
The one and only practice hour of the weekend gives the drivers their only chance to get up to speed with their cars before the fast-paced sprint qualifying later today.
Who will set the benchmark?
F1 United States Grand Prix:
Friday 17 October 2025 16:56 , Kieran JacksonF1 next heads to Austin as the Circuit of the Americas hosts the United States Grand Prix - and the fourth sprint weekend of the 2025 season.
McLaren title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris clashed last time out in Singapore, with the Australian upset after his teammate’s lap one overtake involved contact between the two cars. Norris finished third, a spot ahead of Piastri, and narrowed the deficit in the world championship to 22 points with six rounds to go. McLaren have since stated that Norris faces “repercussions” following the incident.
Max Verstappen finished second in Singapore and is 63 points off Piastri in the title race, while George Russell claimed his second victory of the season in the city-state. The British driver, alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli, extended his contract with Mercedes on Wednesday.
As for Ferrari, it was another difficult weekend in Singapore as Lewis Hamilton still searches for his first podium of the season. Charles Leclerc won last year’s race in Austin, as the Scuderia claimed a one-two finish.
