Welcome to our regular post-race round-up, a final look at the action, where we’ll break down the best and the bonkers of F1 from across the weekend. From our favourite photos to the slickest fits we spotted, plus all the behind-the-scenes goodness you might have missed.

Fans enjoyed a rootin'-tootin' weekend on and off track in the Lone Star State as the US Grand Prix showed why it’s one of the most enjoyable rounds of the calendar.

We kicked off the weekend with an almighty yeehaw from the Papaya Army to set the tone as we hosted our second McLaren Racing Live of the season, debuted a limited-edition livery, toured the track in a monster truck, and added another podium to our tally. Here are the best moments from the US Grand Prix…

Quote of the weekend
Feeling inspired

“Being 'In the Zone' means trying your hardest”

The Papaya Army did a great job of summing up what it means to be “In the Zone” as we opened the doors to our second fan event of the season, following the success of the McLaren Racing Live event we held in London ahead of the British Grand Prix.

Inspired by the feeling of being ‘In the Zone', the free and un-ticketed three-day long event was held in Downtown Austin in collaboration with Google Gemini and Dell Technologies, along with Mastercard, eBay and Okta. 

Being “In the Zone” isn’t a feeling exclusive to athletes, but something we all experience when in our element and enjoying our work. This is what the event in Austin was attempting to capture and ahead of entering, we asked attending fans what it means to them.

 

What does 'in the zone' mean to you? 💭#McLaren | #NeverStopRacing pic.twitter.com/xE4gI34lLe

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 17, 2025

Created to bring F1 closer to audiences who may not be able to attend the race itself, McLaren Racing Live: Zone Studio gave fans a chance to try their hand at a virtual pit stop, set lap times in our F1 racing sim, get up close and personal with our 2025 race car and explore a selection of our heritage steering wheels.

Fans could also watch some hugely talented creatives get ‘in the zone’ themselves. Rex Hamilton produced his mural in front of an audience during the event, while renowned artists King Saladeen, Joshua Vides, and Allison Hueman all joined us to display their work.

 

Team, you've made The Zone Studio unforgettable 🫶#McLaren | #NeverStopRacing pic.twitter.com/KQCLKUs8u0

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 19, 2025

Best of social media 
Meet the newest member of our content team  

Rex Hamilton, King Saladeen, Joshua Vides, and Allison Huema aren’t the only creatives who have been busy showcasing masterpieces over the past week. While capturing content of our Google Gemini livery enhancement, the content team let Lando loose with one of the cameras and he was a natural.

As most of you will already know, this wasn’t Lando’s first time behind the lens – our Austin podium scorer is a keen photographer in his spare time. Although he doesn't get as many chances to pick up a camera these days, it seems he's not lost any sharpness.  

 

We got ourselves a new content creator 🤣🎥#McLaren | @geminiapp pic.twitter.com/49uHqaKf9V

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 15, 2025

Outfit of the weekend
The MCL39 steals the show 

The iridescent MCL39 looked resplendent in the Austin sunshine. Created in collaboration with Google Gemini, and inspired by the sparkle of their colour palette, the two-race outfit will also be donned in Mexico City.  

Lando and Oscar also both wore special race suits and boots as part of the limited-edition look, while both brought their own US Grand Prix special helmet designs.

Photo of the weekend
From the grandstands to the gallery

Sticking to the artistic theme, we asked fans to submit their own artwork ahead of Austin.

We received some jaw-dropping entries from the Papaya Army, which we displayed at McLaren Racing Live and sprinkled across our social media output through the weekend, but there was no beating this masterpiece from 13-year-old Nadia. Thank you so much for your hard work Nadia, you've done yourself proud! 

Now, we know it’s not technically 'Photo of the Weekend', but we reckon you’ll let us off just this once.

 

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A post shared by McLaren (@mclaren)

You may have missed
I feel the need, the need for speed

Oscar met Austin-local and massive F1 fan Glen Powell ahead of the US Grand Prix, where the pair chatted about their shared love of Austin’s famous barbecue scene, what makes the Circuit of the Americas special, and the chances of Glen appearing in an F1: The Movie sequel, were one to be made.

 

Glen Powell and Oscar Piastri talking about the most important thing in Austin - barbecue 🍖

The Running Man
In UK cinemas from November 12th pic.twitter.com/qd6SFqegBG

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 19, 2025

Glen is best known for his leading role in Top Gun: Maverick, which was directed by the same person as F1: The Movie, Joseph Kosinski. Asked whether he’d be interested in appearing in any future F1 film adaptations, he didn’t hesitate: “You better damn well know I’m calling Joe!”

It appeared that Glen was already doing his research in preparation for any potential role, as he asked Oscar for his opinion on COTA’s best overtaking spots. He also commended Oscar for his choice of local barbecue joint, perhaps hoping that he'd get an offer to be Oscar's wingman.

Moment of the weekend
Lando vs Leclerc

Lando’s race-long battle with Charles Leclerc was one of the most entertaining parts of the weekend – a proper back-and-forth, which only concluded in the closing laps.

After initially losing second to the soft-tyred Leclerc when the lights went out, Lando bided his time on Mediums in third, confident that, with a little patience, he would be able to recover the position from the Ferrari driver.

Leclerc managed to withstand some early pressure from Lando, who remained in his tyre tracks through the first half of the race. The pair went side-by-side on Lap 15 and got close again on Lap 19, before Lando made a move stick on Lap 21 at Turn 12. But their battle was far from finished… Lando switched to Softs on Lap 33 and returned behind Leclerc, who had earlier made the opposite change from Softs to Mediums.

 

A lunge from Lando! 😮‍💨

This is the move that earned the McLaren driver P2 in the end, passing Charles for the second step of the podium 🥈#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/1YBak0Mzrt

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025

Armed with fresh Soft tyres, and over 20 laps with which to make his move, the smart money was on Lando, who was primed for round two of their tussle, but the Ferrari driver wasn’t about to give up the position lightly.

Lando initially struggled with his tyres and this briefly put a pin in his chase of the Monegasque, as he dropped back to keep them cool, before being unshackled in the final laps, free to harass the Ferrari once more.

An unsuccessful first attempt at Turn 1 didn’t dissuade Lando as he spotted a gap going into Turn 12 and lunged down the inside of the Ferrari, coming out of the corner ahead of him in second.

Leclerc was told to “keep the pressure on” but he couldn’t keep up. Once in front, Lando didn’t look back, as he began to instantly pull a gap between himself and third.

What’s next?

We’re headed from COTA to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City for the 20th round of the 2025 Formula 1 season.