F1 United States Grand Prix 2026: Facts, Details, and Picks

F1 United States GP: Introduction

The F1 United States GP 2026 is officially the Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix 2026. It takes place from 23 to 25 October 2026. The race will be held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. It is the 18th round of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship.

This is a normal race weekend, not a Sprint weekend. Teams get three practice sessions, qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday. It is the first time since 2022 that COTA has no Sprint.

The weekend could also decide the Drivers’ Championship. Kimi Antonelli leads with 340 points, while George Russell is second on 238. Lewis Hamilton is third with 229 points. Antonelli can win the title in Austin, but only if the results go his way.

F1 United States GP: A Texas Race with a Title Twist

COTA has hosted the United States Grand Prix every year since 2012. The only break was 2020, when the race was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Formula 1 has also announced that the circuit will stay on the calendar through 2034.

Austin starts a run of three races in the Americas. Mexico City follows from 30 October to 1 November. São Paulo comes the weekend after that. Five races will remain after Austin. That leaves a maximum of 125 points for the drivers to win.

Memorable Moments at the F1 United States GP

2012 – COTA Hosts Its First Grand Prix

The United States Grand Prix moved to the Circuit of the Americas in 2012. Lewis Hamilton won that first race in Austin. He went on to win four more times there. No driver has won more races at COTA.

2018 – Kimi Räikkönen Wins for Ferrari

Kimi Räikkönen won the 2018 race. It was his first win for Ferrari since the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix. It was also the last win of his F1 career. Ferrari had not won in the United States since 2006.

2024 – Charles Leclerc Leads a Ferrari One-Two

Charles Leclerc won the 2024 race ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz. His winning time was 1:35:09.639. It was Ferrari’s first one-two finish in the United States since 2006.

2025 – Max Verstappen Wins from Pole

Max Verstappen won the 2025 United States Grand Prix from pole position. His pole lap was 1:32.510. He had also won the Sprint a day earlier. Lando Norris passed Charles Leclerc to finish second.

F1 United States GP: Last Time Winner

In the 2025 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix race, Max Verstappen became the winner for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen covered 56 laps in 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 0.161 seconds. Lando Norris came second in the race and was 7.959 seconds behind Verstappen.

2025 F1 United States GP Podium:

Position	Driver	Team
1st	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
2nd	Lando Norris	McLaren
3rd	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari

F1 United States GP: Event Details

Event Details	Information
Main Event	F1 United States Grand Prix 2026
Official Name	Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix 2026
Round	Round 18
Date	23–25 October 2026
Venue	Circuit of The Americas
Location	Austin, Texas, USA
Race Date	25 October 2026
Race Start Time	03:00 PM CDT | 04:00 PM ET | 01:00 PM PT | 01:30 AM IST (Next day)
Format	Standard Weekend (No Sprint)
Time Zone	UTC−5 (CDT)

F1 United States GP: Circuit Details

Key Event and Circuit Specifications

Attributes	Details
Circuit Name	Circuit of The Americas
Location	Austin, Texas, USA
Circuit Length	5.513 km
Race Distance	308.405 km
Number of Laps	56
Number of Turns	20
First Grand Prix	2012
Current Lap Record	1:36.169
Lap Record Holder	Charles Leclerc
Lap Record Year	2019

The F1 United States GP has a 5.513 km circuit length, 56 laps, and a 308.405 km race distance. The table has Leclerc’s 1:36.169 as the fastest lap, set in 2019.

F1 United States GP: Circuit Overview

The Circuit of the Americas is a road race circuit located on the outskirts of Austin, Texas. This circuit was built in 2012 by Hermann Tilke and has 20 turns that go in a counter-clockwise direction.

There are many corners that have been copied from other tracks. There is a good mixture of quick sweeps and hairpin corners, along with a long back straight.

1. Uphill Start and Turn 1

The drivers start from a very steep hill to Turn 1. This is a wide turn that has numerous racing lines. This means that the first lap will be hectic with overtaking opportunities.

2. The Esses

Turns 3 to 6 comprise a fast-flowing complex. This is similar to the Maggotts and Becketts complex at Silverstone. Smoothness is important to maintain speed throughout the turns.

3. Overtaking and Strategy

The DRS is useful for overtaking when going into Turn 12 and entering Turn 1. Qualifying remains important since a good starting position is beneficial in the race. For instance, in 2025, Norris overtook Leclerc to finish second.

4. Stadium Section and Track Limits

Turns 12 to 15 are a replica of the stadium complex at Hockenheim in Germany. Turn 19 is also a difficult turn. Track limits remain an issue here.

F1 United States GP: Full Schedule

Date & Day	Series	Session	Local Time
Friday, 23 October	Masters Historic	Practice Session	09:45–10:10
	FIA	F1 Car Presentation	11:00–12:00
	Formula 1	First Practice Session	12:30–13:30
	Porsche Carrera Cup North America	Practice Session	14:00–14:30
	Formula 1	Teams’ Press Conference	14:30–15:30
	Masters Historic	Qualifying Session	14:55–15:20
	Formula 1	Second Practice Session	16:00–17:00
	F1 Academy	Opening Race – 13 Laps or 30 Mins +1 Lap	17:50–18:25
Saturday, 24 October	Porsche Carrera Cup North America	Qualifying Session	09:10–09:40
	Masters Historic	First Race – 25 Mins	10:10–10:40
	Formula 1	Third Practice Session	12:30–13:30
	Porsche Carrera Cup North America	First Race – 35 Mins	14:35–15:15
	Formula 1	Qualifying Session	16:00–17:00
	Formula 1	Press Conference	17:00–18:00
	F1 Academy	Reverse Grid Race – 13 Laps or 30 Mins +1 Lap	18:00–18:35
Sunday, 25 October	Masters Historic	Second Race – 25 Mins	09:25–09:55
	Porsche Carrera Cup North America	Second Race – 35 Mins	10:35–11:15
	F1 Academy	Feature Race – 13 Laps or 30 Mins +1 Lap	12:00–12:30
	Formula 1	Drivers’ Parade	13:00–13:30
	Formula 1	National Anthem	14:44–14:46
	Formula 1	Grand Prix – 56 Laps or 120 Mins	15:00–17:00

Note: Austin is 5 hours behind UTC. Timetable subject to change.

F1 United States GP: Why This Weekend Matters

Austin is not one of the six Sprint weekends of 2026. Those were China, Miami, Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Singapore. The United States Grand Prix returns to the normal format.

Only the Grand Prix gives points this weekend. No Sprint points are left this season. Six races remain, including Austin, with 150 points still available.

Where Can You Watch the F1 United States GP 2026?

F1 TV Pro offers live coverage in countries without an exclusive TV deal. It shows every practice session, qualifying session, and race. Availability depends on the country.

Country	Broadcaster / Platform
USA	Apple TV
UK	Sky Sports F1
India	FanCode
Canada	TSN (English) | RDS (French)
Australia	Fox Sports | Kayo Sports
Singapore	beIN Sports

F1 United States GP: Championship Battle

The title picture changed again in Singapore. Max Verstappen won the race and moved up to fourth. Kimi Antonelli finished third and now leads by 102 points.
Antonelli has 340 points. George Russell has 238. He finished ninth in Singapore after starting 19th because of an engine penalty. Hamilton is third on 229 points. Verstappen has 221, Charles Leclerc has 215, and Lando Norris has 201.

Driver	Team	Points	Position
Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	340	1st
George Russell	Mercedes	238	2nd
Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	229	3rd
Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	221	4th
Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	215	5th
Lando Norris	McLaren	201	6th

Can Antonelli Win the World Championship in Austin?

He can, but it is not easy. To be sure of the title, he must leave Austin at least 125 points or more over his closest rivals. Antonelli would need to win the race. Russell would then have to finish ninth or lower. Hamilton would need to finish fifth or lower.

F1 United States GP Top Picks Stats & Metrics

Metric	Kimi Antonelli	Max Verstappen	Lewis Hamilton
Championship Position	1st	4th	3rd
Championship Points	340	221	229
2026 Grand Prix Wins	8	2	1
Career Wins at COTA	0	4	5
2025 US GP Result	P13	P1	P4
Latest GP Result (Singapore)	P3	P1	P6

Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli is the strongest pick for the championship. The 20-year-old has 340 points and eight wins this season. In Singapore, he had track-limit problems and brake issues. He still finished third.

Austin has not been kind to him yet. He finished 13th there in 2025 and has no wins at the track.

Max Verstappen

Verstappen arrives in great form. He has won the last two Grand Prix, in Malaysia and Singapore. He won the Singapore GP from pole position.

He has already won the United States Grand Prix at COTA four times (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025). One more would match Hamilton’s record of five.

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton has more wins at COTA than anyone else. He won in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. He finished fourth there in 2025.

His 2026 season includes one win, at Barcelona in June. Singapore was a bad day. A Ferrari strategy error cost him a likely podium, and he finished sixth.

F1 United States GP: Weather Watch

October is usually warm in Austin. Daytime highs are often around 25°C or higher. Nights are cooler, at about 14°C to 15°C.

Rain can still appear. A big storm hit the race weekend in 2015, and bad weather came before the 2018 race. Check the latest forecast in race week, because conditions can change fast.

F1 United States GP: What Makes the Race Special?

The F1 United States GP has several features that stand out. The track has a steep uphill first corner, fast esses, and a long back straight. The race starts at 3 PM local time, in daylight.

In 2026, it is a standard weekend with no Sprint. It is also the first race of the Americas triple-header. Most of all, it gives Antonelli his first chance to win the world title. A clean first lap and a strong qualifying run will matter.