Kimi Antonelli has his first opportunity to secure the 2026 drivers' championship at this weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Antonelli needs to claim victory while Mercedes teammate George Russell ends ninth or worse and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth or lower.

Austin marks the start of six races running through to the season finale in December.

BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson responds to your most recent questions ahead of the Texas event.

Will Liam Lawson get the Racing Bulls seat for next year? - Chris

Racing Bulls remain one of just two squads without a settled 2027 driver pairing. The other is Haas, where Oliver Bearman awaits confirmation next to new recruit Rafael Camara, though that step appears imminent.

At Racing Bulls the situation involves three drivers for two seats, with current racers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad joined by Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov, who sits second in Formula 2.

This marks the first occasion in Red Bull history that Helmut Marko does not control junior-team driver selections, leaving the new management approach uncertain.

Previously, observers might have expected Lawson to be released after his opportunity, with Tsolov paired alongside Lindblad.

Yet an argument exists that the Red Bull junior programme suffered from two decades of mismanagement under Marko and former team principal Christian Horner, suggesting a steadier, more patient strategy could prove wiser.

Marko and Horner previously adopted a harsh stance, granting a driver one chance and discarding them without immediate results.

That tactic carried logic when seeking world-class talent for Red Bull, but it often paired two untested drivers, complicating performance assessments.

A different path could retain a proven benchmark driver to better evaluate a newcomer.

Under that logic, retaining Lawson and Lindblad for 2027 while assigning Tsolov reserve duties, simulator work and older-car tests would supply valuable experience.

Lindblad has shown flashes of promise this season, yet Lawson currently holds the edge in both qualifying and race pace.

Should Lindblad aim for a future Red Bull role, an extra year to demonstrate consistent superiority over Lawson would clarify his prospects.

Pairing Tsolov with Lindblad would instead create two unknowns, offering little clarity overall.

No choice has been finalised, with the decision ultimately resting with shareholders Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, and below them Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff who oversees the F1 effort.

Why is F1 going to another country, Rwanda, with what can only be described as very poor human rights? Is this another case of if you have the cash we'll come to your country irrespective of significant international concern regarding the suppression of political dissent, press freedom and the country's military involvement in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo? - Paul

Formula 1's owner Liberty Media has pursued an African race since acquiring the sport in 2017.

The continent represented the sole inhabited landmass missing from the calendar, and the Rwanda event would complete global coverage while opening a fresh market.

Locating a viable host nation has proved challenging.

Projects near Tangier in Morocco lacked sufficient funding, while a potential return to Kyalami in South Africa encountered promoter difficulties.

Multiple South African proposals, including Kyalami and two in Cape Town, remain distant from realisation.

Most grands prix receive some form of government support, so the successful African bid carrying official backing is unsurprising.

The arrangement is delicate because Rwanda accepts international aid, and both the government and F1 stress that financing stems from a new development fund blending public and private sources.

Accusations of sportswashing have also surfaced, referring to the use of major events to divert attention from conduct criticised by parts of the international community.

Rwanda faces a case at the International Court of Justice brought by the Democratic Republic of Congo, alleging breaches of treaties on genocide prevention, racial discrimination, women's rights and torture.

DRC Foreign Affairs Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner stated last week that while DR Congo welcomes an African grand prix, it opposes Rwanda as host.

She accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame of supporting a destructive conflict in her country, noting that wars have cost millions of lives, displaced populations and led to exploitation of Congolese resources.

The statement highlighted US sanctions on Rwandan military figures for backing the M23 rebel group and undermining a peace deal.

Kayikwamba Wagner added that the event offers F1 a chance to demonstrate its values and should demand independent assurances that funding avoids conflict-linked minerals or appropriated Congolese resources.

An F1 spokesperson noted the sport's history of delivering economic, social and cultural benefits, expressed belief that the race can inspire fans across Africa and emphasised that sport serves as a positive and unifying influence.

If Imola is the back-up track for the last race and is being prepared for that, who's paying for the work? Surely not the track? - Joe

Imola is being prepared as a potential venue for the season-ending grand prix on 4-6 December should the Qatar and Abu Dhabi events be cancelled.

F1 continues to plan for the Middle East races after receiving what it views as adequate security assurances.

Advisers report no attacks on civilian infrastructure in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates since May.

Nevertheless, the sport recognises the region's volatility and is preparing for possible escalation following the US mid-term elections on 3 November.

Beyond the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Saudi Arabia remains engaged with Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Should the Houthis reach Riyadh or Aramco facilities in Dhahran with missiles, they could also target the final two grands prix locations.

F1 is mindful that US President Donald Trump might intensify regional tensions after the mid-terms, which is why Imola stands ready as contingency.

F1 holds an agreement with Imola to cover any preparatory costs should the race not occur.

If, as seems likely, the Red Bull/Ford engine turns out to be as good as, if not better, than the Mercedes one, will customer teams want to buy it, and would Red Bull consider supplying it to them? - Mike

Current F1 engine regulations require manufacturers to supply customer teams upon request, though not during their debut season.

Two manufacturers currently serve only one team each - Honda with Aston Martin and Audi - while Red Bull supplies its two in-house squads.

Mercedes supports four teams and Ferrari three.

Rules assign the supply obligation first to the manufacturer with the fewest customers, though negotiations always apply.

No team currently seeks an engine.

It is known that Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll explored ending the Honda partnership earlier this year before opting to continue after a difficult start.

Should Honda fail to deliver a significant performance gain over the winter, Stroll could revisit that option.

In such circumstances Red Bull and Mercedes would likely be the targets, and with Mercedes already at capacity and planning to reduce to two customers under new regulations, Red Bull would represent a clear alternative.