United States Grand Prix Betting Tips & Predictions 

Formula 1 heads to Austin, Texas, this weekend for the United States Grand Prix, round 18 of the 2026 season. And we could be about to witness a major moment in the championship fight. 

Kimi Antonelli has a 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and could secure his first Drivers’ Championship at the Circuit of The Americas. If everything falls into place, the Italian could become the youngest world champion in F1 history, taking that record from Sebastian Vettel. 

But there are other storylines worth keeping an eye on. Max Verstappen has won the last two Grand Prix in Malaysia and Singapore, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will be hoping to challenge after finishing second in Singapore. 

Austin also marks the return to a conventional Grand Prix weekend after Singapore’s final Sprint event of the season. The teams will have three practice sessions to get their setups right before Qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. 

With the championship potentially being decided and Verstappen in excellent form, there’s plenty to look forward to in Texas. Let’s take a closer look at our United States Grand Prix betting tips and predictions. 

Full Weekend Schedule (South African Time – SAST) 

Friday, 23 October 

• Free Practice 1: 19:30–20:30 

• Free Practice 2: 23:00–00:00 

Saturday, 24 October 

• Free Practice 3: 19:30–20:30 

• Qualifying: 23:00–00:00 

Sunday, 25 October 

• Race: 22:00–00:00 

United States Grand Prix Race Details 

First up, here are some quick facts and important details about this week’s race at the Circuit of the Americas. 

Round	18
Location	Austin, Texas, USA
Circuit	Circuit of the Americas
Laps	56
Track Length	5.513km
Race Distance	308.405km
Previous Race Winner	Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)

Singapore Grand Prix Recap 

The F1 Sprint race last time around was Singa-pouring rain before the race even began, resulting in a delayed start.   

Then, chaos. The first few corners after the start of the Sprint saw no incidents until George Russell lost his car on lap three, causing him to DNF from the race. That would just be the start of a very disappointing weekend for him that may have been the nail in the coffin of his championship hopes. Verstappen game out victorious, with Hamilton P2 and Leclerc P3. There was a total of nine DNFs.   

The Singapore Grand Prix was much less eventful, with four DNFs. Max Verstappen won in Singapore for the first time in a full race, with Leclerc coming in P2 and Antonelli P3. Other notable performances included Isack Hadjar who finished P10 after making up 12 places, and Russell who made up 10 to reach P9. 

Key Storylines and Considerations Heading Into the Weekend 

Kimi Antonelli Could Win the Drivers’ Championship 

This is undoubtedly the biggest story of the weekend. Kimi Antonelli is set to become the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion this weekend, if all goes in his favour. 

The Mercedes driver currently has 340 points, with George Russell on 238 and Lewis Hamilton on 229. If Antonelli wins the United States Grand Prix, Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton finishes fifth or lower, Antonelli will have a lead of at least 125 points with only five races remaining. 

That would be enough to secure the title. 

Of course, this would require poorer performances from Russell and Hamilton, but there’s still a chance that Antonelli could become the youngest Drivers’ Champion in F1 history.  

McLaren Brings Upgrades to Austin 

The current reigning Constructors’ Champions are bringing a new upgrade package to the US Grand Prix this weekend. With Red Bull’s recent improvements in their own performance, McLaren needs to make a significant step to protect third place in the championship. 

McLaren will also be hoping that the Circuit of the Americas is better suited to their car. But overall, both McLaren drivers have been having lacklustre results compared to last year’s performance. They’ll need all the help they can get.  

Verstappen Could Delay the Championship Conclusion 

Red Bull’s improvements thus far have paid off for Verstappen, who’s won the last two Grand Prix (three, if you count the Sprint). Singapore was a track he’d never won at previously, and he managed to come out victorious. 

If he carries that same energy and confidence into this weekend, a place he’s won at just last year, then he could win again. That would delay the championship conclusion even more and potentially give Russell a chance to catch up. 

Verstappen could be the key to a photo finish for the Drivers’ Championship this year. 

Drivers to Watch 

Kimi Antonelli 

Antonelli has been the standout driver of the 2026 season and heads into Austin with eight victories and 14 podiums from the first 17 Grands Prix. He also has a 102-point advantage over Russell. 

He didn’t have the easiest weekend in Singapore, with brake issues and track-limit problems affecting his performance, but he still managed to finish third. 

Now, he has a chance to do something that would make this season even more memorable. If he wins in Austin and gets the right results behind him, Kimi Antonelli will be a Formula 1 World Champion. 

Max Verstappen 

The Red Bull driver has suddenly found his rhythm, winning in both Malaysia and Singapore. His Singapore victory was particularly impressive, as he led from start to finish and finally secured his first-ever Grand Prix win at Marina Bay. 

Now he returns to one of his favourite circuits. Verstappen won the 2025 United States Grand Prix and has been a regular contender at COTA throughout his career. He is also now fourth in the championship and has closed the gap to the drivers ahead after his recent run of form. 

If Red Bull can get the balance right, another Verstappen victory could be on the cards. 

Charles Leclerc 

Charles Leclerc is another driver worth keeping an eye on. He finished second to Verstappen in Singapore and will be hoping Ferrari can carry that pace into Austin. He also has a strong history at COTA, having finished third here last year. 

Ferrari has had an inconsistent season compared to Mercedes, but Leclerc has regularly shown that he can extract plenty from the car when the conditions suit him. 

United States Grand Prix Betting Tips 

Race Winner 

Max Verstappen 

We’re backing Max Verstappen to make it three wins in a row. After finally getting his first victory of the season in Malaysia, Verstappen followed it up with another dominant performance in Singapore. That kind of momentum is difficult to ignore. 

He also won at COTA last year and has plenty of experience around a circuit that rewards aggressive driving, strong braking and confidence through the high-speed sections. Antonelli is obviously the main threat, especially with the championship potentially being decided, but Verstappen looks like the driver with the strongest momentum coming into the weekend. 

Best Value Bet 

Podium Finish – Kimi Antonelli 

Even if Antonelli doesn’t win the race, a podium finish looks like a strong option. He has finished on the podium in 14 of the 17 Grands Prix this season and has only failed to score points once. 

Mercedes has also been the dominant team for much of the season, and Antonelli doesn’t need to take unnecessary risks. His priority is the championship, and a podium would be another major step towards securing it. 

If Verstappen is too strong at the front, Antonelli can still have a very successful weekend by finishing second or third. 

Bet on Formula 1 with Bet.co.za 

The United States Grand Prix could see a young champion making history. Make sure you follow along and place your bets on Bet.co.za before lights out this weekend.