Kimi Antonelli has his first opportunity to clinch the 2026 drivers' championship at this weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin. To secure the title, Antonelli must win the race, with Mercedes team-mate George Russell finishing ninth or lower and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton fifth or lower.
Meanwhile, the 2027 driver line-up for Racing Bulls remains unfinalised, making them one of only two teams, alongside Haas, yet to confirm their roster. The situation at Racing Bulls involves current drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, along with Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov, who is currently second in the Formula 2 championship.
This marks the first time Red Bull's junior team driver choice is not overseen by Helmut Marko, leading to uncertainty about the new management's approach. Past Red Bull strategy under Marko and Christian Horner was described as ruthless, often dropping drivers who didn't deliver immediately. An alternative approach could involve retaining a known-quality benchmark like Lawson alongside Lindblad to better assess the newcomer's ability.
In other F1 news, the sport's owner, Liberty Media, is establishing a race in Rwanda, aiming to have a presence on every inhabited continent. This move has drawn criticism, with the Democratic Republic of Congo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, opposing Rwanda as a host due to accusations of human rights issues and military involvement in the DRC.