Formula 1 returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend for the United States Grand Prix - as Kimi Antonelli stands on the cusp of his first world championship.

The 20-year-old Italian holds a 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and will win his first title if he wins this Sunday’s grand prix and Russell finishes ninth or lower. Antonelli also needs Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth or lower.

A podium last time out in Singapore extended Antonelli’s lead, as Max Verstappen claimed his second victory in a row amid a Red Bull resurgence this season. Russell, meanwhile, only finished ninth and crashed out of the sprint race in Marina Bay.

The popular race in Austin is the start of another triple-header, with Mexico and Brazil to follow in the weeks ahead. Verstappen was victorious at COTA last year.

What is the starting grid?

1. Kimi Antonelli

2. Max Verstappen

3. Isack Hadjar

4. Charles Leclerc

5. Lewis Hamilton

6. George Russell

7. Oscar Piastri

8. Lando Norris

9. Liam Lawson

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Nico Hulkenberg

12. Ollie Bearman

13. Fernando Alonso

14. Arvid Lindblad*

15. Esteban Ocon

16. Lance Stroll

17. Carlos Sainz

18. Alex Albon

19. Sergio Perez

20. Valtteri Bottas

21. Franco Colapinto**

22. Gabriel Bortoleto***

*Lindblad has a five-place grid penalty

**Colapinto has a 10-place grid penalty

***Bortoleto has a back-of-the-grid penalty

When is the United States Grand Prix?

Times BST

Sunday 25 October

How can I watch it online and on TV?

The United States Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 6:30pm (BST).

Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action from Austin on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

In the United States, every practice, qualifying and race session is streamed on Apple TV this year. You can stream Apple TV for FREE, with Apple TV’s seven-day free trial.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch, then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help.

Driver standings ahead of United States GP

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 340 points

2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 238 points

3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 229 points

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 221 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 215 points

6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 201 points

7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 138 points

8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 97 points

9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 75 points

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 41 points

11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 38 points

12. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 27 points

13. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 23 points

14. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 13 points

15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 10 points

16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 7 points

17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 7 points

18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 7 points

19. Alex Albon (Williams) - 5 points

20. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) - 1 point

21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 0 points

22. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 0 points

23. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 0 points

Constructor standings ahead of United States GP

1. Mercedes - 578 points

2. Ferrari - 444 points

3. McLaren - 339 points

4. Red Bull - 332 points

5. Racing Bulls - 100 points

6. Alpine - 68 points

7. Haas - 30 points

8. Audi - 23 points

9. Williams - 12 points

10. Aston Martin - 7 points

11. Cadillac - 0 points

What is the 2026 race calendar?

ROUND 18 - UNITED STATES

Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 23-25 October

ROUND 19 - MEXICO

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 30 October-1 November

ROUND 20 - BRAZIL

Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 6-8 November

ROUND 21 - LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas Street Circuit - 19-21 November

ROUND 22 - QATAR

Lusail International Circuit - 27-29 November

ROUND 23 - ABU DHABI

Yas Marina Circuit - 4-6 December