Formula 1 is back in Texas for the 18th round of the season, and the championship is closer to ending than at any point this year. After Singapore, Kimi Antonelli has 340 points to George Russell’s 238. With six races left and 150 points available, the title can be decided at the Circuit of the Americas, five races early.

It is a standard weekend: three practice sessions, qualifying on Saturday and the 56-lap Grand Prix on Sunday. There is no Sprint in Austin, and none left on the calendar.

One thing to watch in Europe: clocks go back early on Sunday, October 25, so the race starts at 21:00 in Paris, while Friday and Saturday sessions are still on summer time.

The championship after Singapore

In the constructors’ standings Mercedes lead with 578 points, ahead of Ferrari (444), McLaren (339) and Red Bull (332).

What the numbers say

The arithmetic is unforgiving for Antonelli’s rivals, but narrow for him. Russell trails by 102 points, so Antonelli must outscore his team-mate by at least 24 in a single race: a win against a result outside the top nine. Hamilton, 111 behind, must be beaten by at least 15, which a win does against a fifth place or lower. Verstappen and Leclerc are 119 and 125 behind, so a win would already be enough against them.

Most weekends do not produce that combination, which is why Austin is a first match point rather than a certainty. If Antonelli does not clinch, the championship simply carries on to Mexico City, the next round, with his lead intact or slightly changed.

Verstappen arrives in form

The driver most likely to complicate Antonelli’s weekend is Max Verstappen. He comes to Texas on a streak after winning in Sepang and again in Singapore, where he led every lap from pole for his 73rd career win. He is fourth in the standings, 119 points behind, and still mathematically in the fight.

The circuit

The Circuit of the Americas is 5.513 km long with 20 corners, and the race is 56 laps, about 308.7 km. The first-sector climb to Turn 1 and the run through the Esses are what most drivers talk about, and the long back straight into the hairpin is the main overtaking spot. Qualifying and Sunday’s race both take place in the Texas afternoon, with a 15:00 local start.

Sources

Schedule, circuit data and standings: OpenF1 sessions for the United States Grand Prix (meeting 1297), drivers’ championship and constructors’ championship after the Singapore Grand Prix (session 11388), and the MultiViewer circuit data for the layout and the number of corners.

Singapore result and context: our Singapore Grand Prix race report. Title scenarios assume 25 points for a win, no remaining Sprints and no fastest-lap point; the numbers will be updated after each session.