F1 Austin Fallout: Russell’s Penalty, Ferrari’s Fightback

US Grand Prix fallout

Russell’s Turn 12 mistake may have ended the fight

The race was won by Antonelli, but it may have been lost by George Russell on lap one. Fighting the two McLarens through the Circuit of the Americas’ tight Turn 12, Russell ran off the track and kept the place. The stewards called it gaining an advantage and handed him a five-second penalty.

From there, his afternoon unravelled. He finished eighth and called his own pace “rubbish.” His teammate, meanwhile, was untouchable.

Antonelli started from pole, 0.179 seconds clear of Max Verstappen. Mercedes gambled on a single stop, switching him from mediums to hards on lap 25. Team boss Toto Wolff said the team had worked out that one stop was worth about eight seconds.

There was a brief wobble. After his stop, Antonelli briefly sat behind Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, who were on different strategies. Once they pitted again, he was gone. His ninth win of the year came by more than 16 seconds.

The turning point: Russell left Austin 123 points behind, with Lewis Hamilton just one point further back. With five races and 125 points left, they are the only two drivers who can still catch him, and only in theory. Think of it like a marathon runner entering the stadium while the chasers are still on the streets outside.

Why it matters to you: if you’re planning to watch Mexico City next Sunday, you may be watching a coronation. A ninth-place finish there makes Antonelli champion, whatever anyone else does.

Battle for second

Ferrari outscores Mercedes as Red Bull and McLaren slip

Behind the leader, the real fight is on. Leclerc finished second and Hamilton fourth, giving Ferrari 30 points, one more than Mercedes managed. Leclerc now has 233 points, just three behind Verstappen, while Hamilton is a single point off Russell.

Verstappen took third but admitted Red Bull picked the wrong tyres and ran them in the wrong order. He also complained about inconsistent engine braking and gearshifts. McLaren had a quiet day: Lando Norris fifth and Oscar Piastri seventh, after Norris lost his best qualifying lap to track limits. Red Bull and McLaren are now level on 355 points in the teams’ standings.

Toyota

Toyota wants $1.7B a year selling its engines to rivals

Toyota expects to earn about $1.7 billion a year by supplying its next-generation engines and hybrid systems to Mazda, Subaru and Suzuki, three brands it already owns stakes in. For East African buyers, that’s worth watching: Subarus, Mazdas and Suzukis are everyday sights on Kenyan roads, and more of them could end up with Toyota hardware under the bonnet.

Robotaxis

Santa Monica may park 150 Zoox robotaxis on city lots

Santa Monica is negotiating a deal to let Amazon-owned Zoox store up to 150 of its robotaxis on city-owned land. The city would earn about $500,000 a year, and the agreement would protect it from liability if a Zoox vehicle is involved in an incident.

Alpine A110

Alpine won’t rush the electric A110

Alpine boss Philippe Krief says the next-generation electric A110 “has to be perfect,” so it won’t be hurried to market. The Renault-owned performance brand is also weighing a move into North America and may keep combustion engines in future models, such as the recently teased A310 concept.

Audi F1

An 80-place grid penalty, and a charge from the back

Audi’s other weekend headline was stranger. Engine changes earned Gabriel Bortoleto an 80-place grid penalty in Austin, more places than there are cars. He started 21st after another driver’s pit-lane sanction, charged through the midfield, but still missed the points. Teammate Nico Hülkenberg was 11th, leaving Audi empty-handed again.