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.