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F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: the title fight and how a race weekend works

The drivers, the championship math, and what's actually happening during a Formula 1 weekend.

Listen with headphones. When it asks a question, answer out loud before it tells you.

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, twenty years old, the championship leader
George Russell, Mercedes, his teammate, second in the standings and the underdog
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, seven-time champion, third in the standings
Max Verstappen, Red Bull, four-time champion, surging late in the year
Weekend format: three practices, qualifying with Q1, Q2 and Q3, then the race, with no sprint
Clinching rule: the title is won when the leader's lead is bigger than the points still available
Overtake mode: within one second of the car ahead, a driver can deploy extra electric power

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Hamilton's teammate
Lando Norris, McLaren, the reigning champion from last year, not in this year's top four
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Norris's teammate
Constructors' championship: teams compete, with both drivers' points added together; Mercedes almost certainly leads (order unverified)
Safety car and virtual safety car bunch up the field and can reshuffle a race; common on Vegas's walled street circuit
Cold Vegas nights mean low grip and tricky tyre warm-up
Why Mercedes leads: the 2026 rules reset the grid and Mercedes got its car and power unit right
What would change the story: an early Antonelli clinch, a bad run for him, Mercedes team orders, or a late Red Bull or Ferrari upgrade

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, twenty years old, leads the title fight; teammate George Russell is the underdog
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) fight behind them; Charles Leclerc is Hamilton's teammate, Norris and Piastri drive for McLaren
Qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) sets the grid and the fastest starts on pole; three practices, no sprint
The title is won when the leader's lead is bigger than the points still available
Overtake mode means extra electric power within one second; safety cars and cold tyres make Vegas unpredictable

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