United States Grand Prix 2026 schedule: Austin start times and how to watch

The United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas is a standard weekend with no sprint. The race starts on Sunday 25 October at 15:00 local time in Austin, which is 16:00 on the US East Coast, 20:00 in the UK and 21:00 in central Europe. Qualifying is on Saturday at 16:00 local time.

Ahead of the weekend, Max Verstappen called the track surface unacceptable: Verstappen on the COTA bumps and his spine.

Qualifying: Antonelli takes pole by 0.179s from Verstappen. Full times and the starting grid after penalties: United States GP 2026 qualifying results.

All results of the weekend, qualifying and race: United States Grand Prix 2026 results.

The full United States Grand Prix timetable

Sessions last one hour, the race runs 56 laps of the 5.513 km circuit (308.405 km). Times from formula1.com. UK and central Europe are on summer time on Friday and Saturday and on winter time on Sunday.

Europe’s clocks go back on race morning

Summer time ends in the EU and the UK at 03:00 on Sunday 25 October, while the United States stays on daylight saving time until 1 November. So the gap between Austin and central Europe shrinks from seven hours to six overnight. Practice and qualifying run at 19:30 and 23:00 in central Europe, the race at 21:00, not 22:00. Check your own clock on Sunday morning.

Three F1 Academy races, and the title can be settled in Austin

F1 Academy Opening Race: Palmowski wins in Austin, Gademan second.

F1 Academy supports the Grand Prix with one of its two three-race weekends: an opening race on Friday evening, a reverse grid race on Saturday after F1 qualifying and the feature race on Sunday, a few hours before the Grand Prix. Each race runs 13 laps or a maximum of 30 minutes.

Times from the official weekend timetable on formula1.com. The Friday and Saturday races finish after midnight in the UK and central Europe.

Alisha Palmowski arrives 48 points clear of Emma Felbermayr with Austin and Las Vegas to go (F1 Academy standings). Las Vegas is worth a maximum of 39 points, so she can wrap up the title this weekend: what Palmowski needs in Austin. Dutch driver Nina Gademan of MP Motorsport is third on 71 points.

Apple TV in the US, Sky in the UK and Germany

According to What Hi-Fi, all 2026 races are exclusive to Apple TV in the United States. In the UK the race is on Sky Sports, with highlights on Channel 4. In the Netherlands it is on Viaplay and F1 TV Pro, in Germany on Sky, and in Belgium RTBF Auvio streams every race free. In Australia it is on Kayo Sports. F1 TV Pro is available in more than 188 countries, but not in the UK.

Câmara’s confirmation hangs over Haas in Austin

Austin is Haas’s first race weekend since the team confirmed on 15 October that Ferrari junior Rafael Câmara takes Esteban Ocon’s seat in 2027. Ocon leaves at the end of the season and has not announced a new team, so Thursday’s media day is the first chance to hear from him on it. More in our Rafael Câmara driver profile, Ocon leaves Haas and the Esteban Ocon profile.

Antonelli arrives 102 points clear

Kimi Antonelli leads the championship on 340 points, 102 ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton third on 229 and Max Verstappen fourth on 221 after his wins at Sepang and Singapore (formula1.com). See the full F1 standings 2026, the title permutations and our report on Verstappen’s win in Singapore.