F1 2025: United States Grand Prix Preview and Predictions

Formula One is back after an action-packed Singapore Grand Prix, which saw McLaren seal the Constructors’ title. The final six races of the season will see three drivers fight it out for the Drivers’ title, with the midfield battle also heating up.

For the 2025 F1 United States Grand Prix, here we present our preview and predictions.

The real battle starts now

While McLaren have locked in their tenth Constructors’ title — also their second consecutive one — they are also favourites to win the Drivers’ title, although it depends on how hostile their drivers get. 

Oscar Piastri is the current championship leader, but the gap between him and his rival and teammate Lando Norris continues to reduce, with both drivers beginning to feel the heat as they head into the business end of the season.

Piastri has had two tough races back to back, which has seen his championship lead cut down to 22 points. The young Australian has been left feeling hard done by his team on several occasions, with McLaren choosing to favour Norris, though he still holds the advantage and it remains his title to lose. 

While McLaren will expect their drivers to keep their heads on track, one driver who’s looking forward to the McLaren drivers coming together is Max Verstappen, who is still in the mix and has an outside shot at retaining the title, which has become more likely thanks to his stunning performances after the summer break. The Dutchman has registered two P2 finishes and two wins in the last four races and is ready to pounce should Piastri and Norris get too engrossed in their intra-team battle.

McLaren arrive at Austin as favourites; expect Piastri to hit back hard after a couple of off races. With the Austin GP to have a Sprint event as well, there will be more points on offer for Norris to get within touching distance of his teammate, while the latter will also have a chance to further extend his lead. 

Pole position prediction: Oscar Piastri / Max Verstappen
Race winners prediction: McLaren / Red Bull

Aston Martin on the rise?

After two races where they failed to pick up points, Aston Martin finally picked up some crucial ones in Singapore thanks to a P7 finish from Fernando Alonso.

While P7 might not look like a promising outcome on its own, the points scored have put Aston Martin four points behind sixth-placed Racing Bulls in the Constructors’ standings. 

Although the condition and tracks are different in Austin, in Singapore Aston Martin did see Alonso hand them a P1 in Practice Session 1, and the veteran Spaniard was absolutely flying towards the end of the race on a set of mediums and delivered a P7 from P15 despite a sloppy pit stop. The Silverstone outfit will hope for similar heroics from the 44-year-old in Austin. 

Is Ferrari’s season over?

It was another weekend to forget for Ferrari in Singapore, and it might be over for the team for the season altogether. The Ferrari challenger clearly has no race pace to keep up with the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes and was even being caught by Aston Martin towards the end last time out.

In fact, Charles Leclerc himself stated in the post-race interview in Singapore that it would be a tough end to the season, especially given that Ferrari have no more upgrades left for the season.

Another big problem for the Scuderia has been their troubles in qualifying. With their competitors having superior race pace, having to start behind them hasn’t helped Ferrari’s cause.

All in all, the signs don’t look good for Ferrari. It should be another middle-of-the-table finish at best for the iconic Italian team in Austin.

F1 United States Grand Prix 2025: Race details

Circuit: Circuit of the Americas
Venue: Austin, Texas, USA
Practice Session 1 time: 23:00 IST, October 17, 2025
Sprint Qualifying time: 03:30 IST, October 18, 2025
Sprint time: 22:30 IST, October 18, 2025
Qualifying time: 02:30 IST, October 19, 2025
Main race time: 00:30 IST, October 20, 2025
Where to watch: F1 TV Pro / FanCode