MSC Cruises United States GP fantasy picks & race guide
Round 18 of 2026 at Circuit of The Americas (Austin, United States) on SUN 25 OCT 2026. This page is a prediction guide for F1RaceDraft — P1, P2, P3, fastest lap, two DNFs — not a copy of a Formula 1 results sheet.
Data: calendar and (when classified) finishing order from third-party timing used by the app. Analysis: F1RaceDraft editorial. Fan-made, not affiliated with Formula 1 or the FIA.
Race at a glance
- Date
- SUN 25 OCT 2026
- Circuit
- Circuit of The Americas
- Layout (file)
- 5.513 km · 56 laps
- Status
- Scheduled
What matters on F1RaceDraft
You are not drafting a season roster. You are naming six exact outcomes for this Grand Prix. Circuit character changes which of those six are “qualifying problems” versus “Sunday problems.”
Circuit characteristics
Permanent circuit. A mix of a steep first sector and a DRS back straight. Passing is possible. High-energy first sector. Long-run pace matters.
P1 / P2 / P3
Use qualifying plus race pace. Sprint weekends (when present) are a form guide, not a copy-paste.
We do not publish a predicted podium as fact. Use practice long runs and the Saturday order, then decide whether this layout usually preserves the grid. Longer method: podium guide.
Fastest lap
A top-ten car with a late stop.
DNF calls
First-corner pack plus mechanical. Not a street-circuit profile.
No invented retirement percentage lives on this page. If this weekend is not yet open for entries, you can still use the circuit notes; picks for other rounds stay locked until the current unfinished Grand Prix is classified.
Circuit of The Americas
Length and lap count above come from our circuit file. Interpretation of how the layout affects six picks is F1RaceDraft writing.
Scoring reminder
Exact slots only. Lock five minutes before scheduled lights out. How to play: rules.
Related guides
- How to pick F1 podium predictions that actually score
- Fastest lap in F1 fantasy: who actually takes it
- DNF predictions for F1 fantasy: reliability, first-lap chaos, and the last-two rule
- How to read F1 practice times for fantasy picks
- Qualifying, grid penalties, and last-hour F1 fantasy changes
- How safety cars scramble F1 fantasy — and how to live with it