Verstappen: "Yeah, I must have a problem with my car. It's unbelievable."

Engineer: Yeah we see some issues with braking. Torque 12 available."

Verstappen: "I can't hear you. I can't hear you."

Max Verstappen sounds a bit frantic on the team radio. He's telling his new race engineer Tom Hart - Gianpiero Lambiase is not on the pit wall this weekend - that the car is "undriveable" as he leads from Charles Leclerc, who is rapidly closing in on the Dutchman.

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Damon Hill
1996 world champion on BBC Radio 5 Live in Austin

The pace of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli is very similar despite being on different tyres. Max Verstappen has to pit again so Leclerc will have to keep Antonelli at bay if he can.

Charles Leclerc in second is clocking fastest laps on his medium tyres, but Kimi Antonelli's pace isn't too shabby on the hard compound. The Italian is 3.6 seconds off race leader Max Verstappen, but his first task is to overtake the Ferrari of Leclerc.

Hadjar: "Why are we on the hard?"

Red Bull: "It's the preferred tyre for this stint."

Hadjar: "What?"

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

5. Lando Norris (McLaren)

If the race was to finish like this with Kimi Antonelli in third, the championship fight will be rolling over to Mexico City next weekend. The Italian has to win in Austin tonight and then hope George Russell finishes ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton finishes outside the top four.

Russell is eighth, Hamilton is fourth.

Hadjar is sounding very frustrated and high-pitched on the team radio.

Isack Hadjar is next to come in during this pit window and the Frenchman is placed on the hard compound for a one-stopper. He asks his Red Bull pit wall why these tyres, as he continues his race in sixth place.

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Image source, Reuters

Race leader Kimi Antonelli is called in to pit, which moves Max Verstappen up into P1 ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

It's hard tyres for the Italian, who rejoins the action in third spot ahead of the Ferrari Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen: "Thanks guys. Really good strategy there. Stuck in the dirty air. ****."

Damon Hill
1996 world champion on BBC Radio 5 Live in Austin

The Mercedes pit stop of George Russell's car was fantastic given they had to wait five seconds.

Engineer: "Let Max pass into Turn 12."

Red Bull ask nicely if Isack Hadjar can move out the way and let Max Verstappen through. The Frenchman obliges, and the four-time world champion lifts himself back into second place.

He's not pleased with the team's strategy, though, telling them he was stuck in the dirty air.

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Damon Hill
1996 world champion on BBC Radio 5 Live in Austin

This is really showing that Mercedes have a comfortable advantage on tyre wear. Verstappen has to push very hard now to make up the deficit.

Engineer: "This is a good pace Kimi. Let's keep it up. Let's go as long as we can."

It;s looking like a one-stop race for Georgw Russell, as he's placed on the hard compound like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The Briton serves his time penalty and comes out in 10th place.

Oscar Piastri overtakes Liam Lawson and is now on the hunt to pass McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.

Mercedes have kept Kimi Antonelli out on his medium tyres, just as the call goes up for Mercedes team-mate George Russell to come in.

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Engineer: "Ok Ollie, that's a 10 second penalty for the collision with Gasly."

Bearman: "You're kidding me!"