Relive the F1 US Grand Prix: The Best Moments On and Off the Track

With a dominant pole-to-victory performance in Austin, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli gets ever closer to clinching the Drivers' Championship. But there were other moments that caught our attention the entire weekend.  

Together, let's relive the best on- and off-the-track moments of Formula 1's return to Austin.

The pole during the first run of Q3 on Saturday was scintillating, but Antonelli's quick launch at the start of Sunday's race was even better. The young Mercedes driver beat his rivals right at the start. He built a good gap over the likes of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, who were fighting for second place.

Antonelli's excellent launch helped him execute a one-stop strategy, and he didn't have to sweat much all the way.

In a race that didn't see much overtaking action compared to what was expected, Leclerc gave us a lot of reasons to stay up watching.  From P4 at the start, the Ferrari driver climbed to P2 through Turn 1 of the opening lap. However, his car's lack of straight-line speed couldn't build a gap, so he had to concede P2 to Verstappen almost immediately after.

But a good second stint on the medium tyres put Leclerc in position for an even better final stint. On Lap 39, the Ferrari driver switched to the hard tyres and the rest was history. He executed a couple of thrilling overtakes on Verstappen and Lando Norris to take his second straight P2 finish. 

Leclerc wasn't the only Ferrari driver who was making strides late in the race. Lewis Hamilton was also quietly putting together a run to a podium finish. Mimicking most of the frontrunners' two-stop strategy, Hamilton passed Norris late in the race and started to close in on Verstappen. 

Unfortunately, Valtteri Bottas' retired Cadillac brought out a late Virtual Safety Car, stripping us of a classic Hamilton-Verstappen wheel-to-wheel battle. In the end, the seven-time World Champion finished just 1.030 seconds behind the last podium place.

Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson is currently the best midfield driver this season, but racing isn't his only talent. On Thursday night, the Kiwi headlined the team's Garage Sessions event in downtown Austin, and performed songs with his younger brother Marcus and two childhood friends. Arvid Lindblad and Isack Hadjar, his current and former teammates, were seen at the event supporting Lawson as well.

Former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo also embraced Austin's music scene. He joined American singer-songwriter Rob Baird on stage at a Ford Racing and Enchanté pop-up on Friday night. 

Ricciardo also raced for other F1 teams like Renault, McLaren, and Racing Bulls.

On October 24, 1976, James Hunt won the Drivers' Championship for McLaren at the Fuji Speedway during the Japanese Grand Prix. Throughout the weekend, McLaren celebrated the championship's 50-year anniversary. Norris arrived on race day wearing a jacket from the James Hunt Collection, while Oscar Piastri wore a matching-themed hoodie.

Of course, the celebrities were in during the entire weekend in Austin. The guest list in the paddock included the likes of renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Jeremy Clarkson, Mario Andretti, Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith, NBA player Harrison Barnes, WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

Cunningham, who currently plays for the Indiana Fever, waved the checkered flag on Sunday's race.