Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 United States Grand Prix from pole — and somehow the Formula 1 World Championship is still not over.

Austin delivered a weekend full of track-limit chaos, strategy battles, Ferrari pace, Red Bull problems, McLaren frustration, and one very important championship result. Antonelli controlled the race with a one-stop strategy, took his ninth victory of the season, and extended his championship lead — but Lewis Hamilton’s fourth-place finish kept the title mathematically alive and pushed the fight on to Mexico.

Michaela breaks down the entire United States Grand Prix weekend, starting with Ferrari topping all three practice sessions before Antonelli stole pole position when qualifying mattered most.

Then it’s race day.

Kimi manages the one-stop strategy while Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton take different approaches around him. Leclerc fights back to finish second, Verstappen takes third, Hamilton finishes fourth, and McLaren struggles through a difficult afternoon with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

We also cover George Russell’s frustrating race, every DNF from Austin, the huge number of deleted laps caused by track limits, and why Circuit of the Americas once again gave teams plenty to think about.

Then F1 Academy delivers one of its biggest weekends of the season.

Alisha Palmowski officially becomes the 2026 F1 Academy Drivers’ Champion, Alba Larsen earns her first victory, Nina Gademan wins the feature race, and a dramatic collision adds even more chaos after the championship has already been decided.

Mike also joins the show for Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week, looking at Red Bull’s problems, Ferrari’s internal tension, McLaren’s difficult weekend, and what makes the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix such a unique challenge.

And for this week’s technical question: why can a one-stop strategy beat a two-stop strategy even when the two-stop driver has fresher tires?

From Antonelli’s title chase to Ferrari’s recovery, F1 Academy history, tire strategy, track limits, and Mexico waiting next — this one has a little bit of everything.

Follow Lights Out, Let’s Chat and come back each week as Michaela breaks down the racing, strategy, personalities, and chaos of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The 20-year-old Mercedes driver arrives at the 2026 United States Grand Prix with a huge championship lead and his first mathematical opportunity to secure the title. But winning in Austin alone may not be enough — George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the field still have a major say in when this championship is finally decided.

And Max Verstappen is not exactly making life easier.

After back-to-back victories in Malaysia and Singapore, Verstappen and Red Bull arrive at Circuit of the Americas with real momentum. Can Max make it three wins in a row, or will COTA expose a different side of Red Bull’s recent improvement?

Michaela breaks down the biggest stories heading into the United States Grand Prix, including the pressure Antonelli faces as championship leader, Verstappen’s late-season surge, Ferrari’s chances after Charles Leclerc’s Singapore podium, Lewis Hamilton’s frustrating strategy call, and what Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri need from McLaren as the season enters its final stretch.

We’re also getting ready for Circuit of the Americas itself. From the dramatic climb into Turn 1 to the high-speed direction changes, long straight, tire management and track-limit headaches, Michaela explains what makes Austin such a demanding — and entertaining — Formula 1 circuit.

F1 Academy is back too, and the championship battle is heating up. Alisha Palmowski leads Emma Felbermayr and Nina Gademan heading into a huge three-race Austin weekend, with only Las Vegas remaining afterward.

Whether you’ve followed Formula 1 for years or you’re still learning why a driver might intentionally take one corner slower to make the overall lap faster, Lights Out, Let’s Chat gives you the context without drowning you in technical jargon.

So what happens in Texas? Does Antonelli move one step closer to history — or actually finish the job? Can Verstappen win three straight? And who could surprise everyone at COTA?

Follow Lights Out, Let’s Chat and come back each week as Michaela makes sense of the racing, strategy, personalities and chaos of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Singapore gave us one of the wildest Formula 1 weekends of 2026—and we're still trying to process everything that happened.

Nine retirements in a 20-lap sprint. George Russell taking the lead before crashing on the opening lap. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri colliding on the final lap. And Max Verstappen? He decided to win the sprint, take Grand Prix pole, and finally conquer Singapore.

In Episode 35 of Lights Out, Let’s Chat, Michaela breaks down the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, from the rain-soaked sprint to Sunday's race, and explains the decisions, mistakes, and moments that shaped the results.

We're talking about:

• Max Verstappen's Singapore sweep and what it means for Red Bull.

• George Russell's disastrous weekend and the championship implications.

• McLaren's costly Norris–Piastri collision and the debate over teammate racing.

• Ferrari's promising pace, strategy decisions, and missed opportunities.

• Kimi Antonelli's championship position as the season moves forward.

• The crashes, mechanical failures, and safety-car drama that turned Singapore upside down.

Plus, Mike joins us for Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week, and Michaela tackles a beginner-friendly Question of the Week: Why can Formula 1 drivers struggle with braking even when their brakes haven't actually failed?

Whether you've followed F1 for years or you're just getting started, we're here to make the racing, strategy, and drama easier to understand—and a lot more fun to talk about.

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