Round
18 of 23
🇺🇸 United States GP 2026 Start Time
The United States GP 2026 starts at on Sunday, October 25, 2026 — that’s in the UK and Ireland, on the US East Coast, and in eastern Australia the next day. Round 18 of 23 at Circuit of the Americas, Austin.
Lights out is at 3:00 PM local time at COTA — that’s 20:00 UTC. That local start time is the same wherever you are; the card below converts it to your own timezone.
Also searched as the COTA or Austin Grand Prix — the same United States GP start time, in your local timezone.
One-click reminder: Google Calendar · Outlook · every race, auto-updating
Heads up — the United States GP falls on a different day depending on where you are. It is Sunday in US Pacific and US Eastern; Monday in India and Japan. What day is it where I am? ↓
Circuit
Circuit of the Americas
Country
United States
Weekend
Standard
Race start (UTC)
Sunday, October 25, 20:00 UTC
Full United States GP weekend schedule
| Session | Day & date (UTC) | Start (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | Fri, Oct 23 | |
| Free Practice 2 | Fri, Oct 23 | |
| Free Practice 3 | Sat, Oct 24 | |
| Qualifying | Sat, Oct 24 | |
| Race | Sun, Oct 25 |
Every session — practice, qualifying and the race — shown in your local timezone. Times update automatically if the schedule changes.
When is the United States GP?
The United States GP is round 18 of the 2026 Formula 1 season, held at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, United States. Lights out is scheduled for Sunday, October 25 at 20:00 UTC. The card above converts that to your local time automatically and counts down to the start.
Heads up — the clocks just changed. UK & Ireland and Central Europe put their clocks back an hour since the last round, so for viewers there the United States GP starts an hour different from recent Grands Prix. The local times below already account for the change. How daylight saving affects F1 start times →
What time is the United States GP around the world?
Lights out is at . That puts the United States GP start at (US Eastern / ET, New York) for North American fans, in the UK and Ireland (London & Dublin), and in eastern Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) the next day. Full conversion across major regions and cities:
| Region | Local start time |
|---|---|
| US PacificLos Angeles | |
| US CentralChicago & Austin | |
| US EasternNew York | |
| MexicoMexico City | |
| Brazil (Brasília)São Paulo | |
| ArgentinaBuenos Aires | |
| UK & IrelandLondon & Dublin | |
| Central EuropeParis & Berlin | |
| Gulf (UAE)Dubai & Abu Dhabi | (next day) |
| IndiaMumbai & New Delhi | (next day) |
| SingaporeKuala Lumpur & Manila | (next day) |
| JapanTokyo | (next day) |
| Eastern AustraliaSydney & Melbourne | (next day) |
Session start times verified against the official F1 timetable on October 6, 2026. Times can change — this page reflects the last verified schedule and updates automatically when it does.
What time does the United States GP finish?
The United States GP is scheduled to finish at approximately — about two hours after the start. F1 races run to the lesser of 305 km or two hours of racing, so most last around 1h45–2h of green-flag running; a red flag or repeated safety cars can push the finish later, and the FIA caps total race time at three hours (how long is an F1 race?). How many stops it takes to get there comes down to the soft, medium and hard tyre compounds and how fast they wear. In the UK and Ireland that is roughly , and on the US East Coast about . Treat it as a planning estimate — take the exact start time above and add roughly two hours.
Qualifying converts the same way — set your alarm for in the UK:
| Region | Local start time |
|---|---|
| US PacificLos Angeles | |
| US CentralChicago & Austin | |
| US EasternNew York | |
| MexicoMexico City | |
| Brazil (Brasília)São Paulo | |
| ArgentinaBuenos Aires | |
| UK & IrelandLondon & Dublin | |
| Central EuropeParis & Berlin | |
| Gulf (UAE)Dubai & Abu Dhabi | (next day) |
| IndiaMumbai & New Delhi | (next day) |
| SingaporeKuala Lumpur & Manila | (next day) |
| JapanTokyo | (next day) |
| Eastern AustraliaSydney & Melbourne | (next day) |
When does F1 Fantasy lock for the United States GP?
F1 Fantasy players need the same thing this page does best — a time, in your own timezone. Your team locks at the start of qualifying for the United States GP:
F1 Fantasy lock deadline: Qualifying start — (UTC). Set your team before qualifying begins. See every round’s F1 Fantasy deadline →
Derived from this round’s qualifying start time above, so it always matches the schedule. For every round’s deadline in your timezone with a live countdown, see the F1 Fantasy deadline tracker.
About Circuit of the Americas
The United States GP is run over 56 laps of the 5.513 km Circuit of the Americas — a purpose-built circuit near Austin, Texas, with a steep uphill run to a blind Turn 1. The venue first hosted a round of the Formula 1 World Championship in 2012.
- Circuit length: 5.513 km
- Race distance: 56 laps
- First World Championship race here: 2012
- Race lap record: 1:36.169, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in 2019
The official Formula 1 race lap record at Circuit of the Americas is 1:36.169, set by Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) during the 2019 Grand Prix. Only laps set in the race itself count, so faster qualifying laps don’t — see every circuit’s mark on the F1 lap records page. (Source: formula1.com.)
Full Circuit of the Americas circuit guide — length, race distance & every recent winner →
2025: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won. Full 2025 United States GP result
Who won the last United States GP? Recent winners at Circuit of the Americas
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) won the most recent Formula 1 race at Circuit of the Americas in 2025. Max Verstappen has won here 4 times in the last 6 runnings — more than any other driver in this span. Here are the winners of the last 6 runnings at Circuit of the Americas:
| Season | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2024 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 2023 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2022 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2021 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2019 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes |
Historical results are immutable facts, compiled from public Formula 1 records — unofficial and not affiliated with Formula 1. Verified 2026-10-06.
United States GP practice, qualifying times
A Grand Prix weekend is more than race day. The United States GP runs 4 timed sessions before lights out, listed here in UTC — the table above shows each one in your own timezone:
- Free Practice 1: Friday, October 23 at 17:30 UTC
- Free Practice 2: Friday, October 23 at 21:00 UTC
- Free Practice 3: Saturday, October 24 at 17:30 UTC
- Qualifying: Saturday, October 24 at 21:00 UTC
Qualifying for the United States GP sets the grid on Saturday, October 24 at 21:00 UTC. Open this page on race weekend and every time shown updates to wherever you are in the world.
How to watch the United States GP live
In the US the United States GP is live on Apple TV, which became the exclusive home of Formula 1 in the United States from 2026 with every session live. In the UK it’s on Sky Sports F1, with free highlights on Channel 4; and worldwide, F1 TV Pro streams every session where it’s available. Major viewer markets:
| Viewer market | Where to watch |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | Apple TV (exclusive from 2026 — every session live; all practice sessions and select races free in the Apple TV app) |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Sky Sports F1 (every session live)Free-to-air: Channel 4 (free-to-air highlights; live coverage of the British GP) |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | TSN / RDS (French); stream via TSN+ |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Fox Sports / Foxtel; stream via Kayo SportsFree-to-air: Network 10 (free-to-air for the Australian GP) |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | Globo — sportv and GloboPlay (every session live)Free-to-air: TV Globo (free-to-air) — 15 Grands Prix live and on delay |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | Grupo Televisa — Sky Sports channels via Sky and Izzi (every session live)Free-to-air: Canal 5 (free-to-air for the Mexican GP) |
| 🇫🇷 France | Canal+ |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Sky DeutschlandFree-to-air: RTL (free-to-air for select races) |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Sky ItaliaFree-to-air: TV8 (free-to-air for select races/highlights) |
| 🌍 Worldwide | F1 TV Pro (official live stream of every session, where available) |
For subscription costs, free trials and how to watch F1 free in every market, see the full 2026 F1 TV & streaming guide.
Broadcast details can change — confirm with your provider before lights out. Unofficial; not affiliated with Formula 1 or any broadcaster.
Watch the United States GP back — highlights & replays
Missed it? Official United States GP highlights are posted free on the Formula 1 YouTube channel and at formula1.com/video within a few hours of the chequered flag. Full-race replays and every session on demand are available to F1 TV Pro subscribers wherever F1 TV is offered.
Free-to-air catch-up and highlights in your country:
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Channel 4 (free-to-air highlights; live coverage of the British GP)
- 🇦🇺 Australia: Network 10 (free-to-air for the Australian GP)
- 🇧🇷 Brazil: TV Globo (free-to-air) — 15 Grands Prix live and on delay
- 🇲🇽 Mexico: Canal 5 (free-to-air for the Mexican GP)
- 🇩🇪 Germany: RTL (free-to-air for select races)
- 🇮🇹 Italy: TV8 (free-to-air for select races/highlights)
Highlights and replay availability vary by region and can change; only official Formula 1 and licensed broadcaster sources are listed. Unofficial; not affiliated with Formula 1 or any broadcaster.
Common questions about the United States GP
What time does the United States GP start?
Lights out for the United States GP is at 20:00 UTC on Sunday, October 25. That is 4:00 PM EDT in the US (Eastern), 8:00 PM GMT in the UK and Ireland, and 7:00 AM AEDT in eastern Australia the following day. The card at the top converts it to your own timezone automatically.
What day is the United States GP?
The United States GP falls on a different calendar day depending on where you watch: Sunday in US Pacific and US Eastern; Monday in India and Japan. It happens at the same instant everywhere — set your reminder for the local day shown in the card and table above.
Is the United States GP the only F1 race in the United States in 2026?
No — the United States hosts three F1 races in 2026: the Miami GP, the United States GP in Austin and the Las Vegas GP. This page covers the United States GP.
What time does the United States GP finish?
The United States GP is scheduled to finish about two hours after the 20:00 UTC start — roughly 22:00 UTC. Most F1 races last around 1h45–2h, but safety cars or a red flag can extend it, up to a three-hour maximum.
What time is the United States GP in the US?
In the US the United States GP starts at 4:00 PM EDT on the East Coast (Eastern) and 1:00 PM PDT on the West Coast (Pacific). It is shown live on Apple TV, the exclusive US home of Formula 1 from 2026.
Where is the United States GP held?
The United States GP is held at Circuit of the Americas, Austin, United States — round 18 of the 2026 Formula 1 season. It is run over 56 laps of the 5.513 km circuit.
Is the United States GP a sprint weekend?
No — the United States GP is a standard Grand Prix weekend: practice sessions and qualifying, then the Grand Prix on Sunday. There is no sprint race at this round.
What channel is the United States GP on?
In the US the United States GP is live on Apple TV; in the UK it is on Sky Sports F1, with free-to-air highlights on Channel 4. Worldwide, F1 TV Pro streams every session where it is available.
Where can I watch the United States GP highlights?
Official United States GP highlights are posted free on the Formula 1 YouTube channel and at formula1.com/video within a few hours of the chequered flag. In some countries a free-to-air broadcaster also airs a highlights show — for example Channel 4 in the UK and TV8 in Italy.
Can I watch the United States GP full race back on replay?
Yes — full-race replays and every session on demand are available to F1 TV Pro subscribers wherever F1 TV is offered. Free official highlights (not the full race) go up on the Formula 1 YouTube channel and formula1.com/video shortly after the race.
When does F1 Fantasy lock for the United States GP?
Your F1 Fantasy team locks for the United States GP at the start of qualifying — 21:00 UTC on Saturday, October 24. That is 5:00 PM EDT in the US (Eastern), 10:00 PM BST in the UK and Ireland, and 8:00 AM AEDT in eastern Australia. Make any transfers and set your line-up before then.
What is the lap record at Circuit of the Americas?
The official Formula 1 race lap record at Circuit of the Americas is 1:36.169, set by Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in 2019. Only laps set during the Grand Prix itself count toward the record, so quicker qualifying laps do not.
Add it to your calendar
One click adds the United States GP to your calendar with the 20:00 UTC start time already localised to wherever you are — no download, no app:
Prefer a file? Use the Add to calendar button above to download an .ics for this race with a 30-minute heads-up alarm. Want every round at once? Subscribe to the full-season calendar — one tap adds it to Google, Apple or Outlook and keeps it in sync if a session time changes.