5 Drivers Who Could Win the Austin GP
Scott Morris | October 9, 2025
The F1 Season Heads to Texas. Here Are Five Contenders with the Best Shot at Taking the Checkered Flag
It’s Light Out at the Austin GP!
With less than a fortnight before the October 19th Grand Prix in Austin, there’s no shortage of F1 news surrounding the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Hosting a Formula 1 event has created the requisite amount of buzz in the state capital in general and the 3.4-mile (5.5-kilometer) oval in particular.
It is hoped there’s no repeat of the 2024 United States Grand Prix at the venue, which had fans storming the court and a subsequent half-million-dollar-plus fine levied. F1 is trying to secure/build on its presence in the U.S., and an incident-free Austin GP would go a long way toward just that.
There’s been road work to the course, specifically on some of the turns, which may present a different look when top drivers such as F1 points leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (both of McLaren, though not the friendliest of teammates), Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (both Ferraris) and Mercedes George Russell do their thing.
Expect to see 10 of the leading teams in the sport converge on the Lone Star State, with 56 laps and more than 191 miles (308 kilometers) awaiting them.
There’s no denying that Formula 1 returning to Texas has attracted the attention of both serious and casual motorsports fans, and here’s a bit of a primer on the 2025 Austin GP…
Is F1 Coming to Austin in 2025?
As was mentioned, the F1 2025 schedule returns to the capital of Texas with the Austin GP. It’s a three-day event, with the race itself going on Sunday, Oct. 19th.
Looking at the current F1 standings, Oscar Piastri holds a 22-point lead (336 to 314) over his McLaren mate Lando Norris. 2021-22-23 U.S. Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) is third in points with 273, Mercedes’ George Russell fourth at 237.
Rounding out the top 10 through this early October writing are 2024 U.S.Grand Prix champ Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 173 points), Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari, 125), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes, 88). Alex Albon (Williams, 70), Isack Hadjar (RB, 39) and Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber, 37).
Piastri is leading with seven wins this season.
What Time is the Formula 1 Race in Austin, Texas?
It’s a mid-afternoon ‘car chase’ at the Austin GP, as the F1 race is scheduled to begin at 2 PM local time. Tickets are available through the host site as well as the usual secondary sellers.
BetUS is, of course, the only site to explore if you want to bet on F1.
Is Austin F1 a Sprint Race?
While the Sunday, Oct. 19th, Austin GP itself is not a sprint, there are both sprint qualifying and sprint races in the days leading to the event.
Regarding the main event’s F1 qualifying, that’s on the Oct. 19th schedule. –
Any Final Thoughts?
F1 races and F1 results have their share of rabid fans who devour all the twists and turns on those courses with all sorts of twists and turns. With the circuit returning to Austin (first of six remaining races in 2025), expect a very intriguing race at the Circuit of the Americas.
