US Grand Prix 2026: start times by city and how to watch
The 2026 United States Grand Prix is on Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 pm Austin time, which is 20:00 UTC. Qualifying is on Saturday, October 24 at 4:00 pm local, and practice starts on Friday, October 23. It is a normal weekend with three practice sessions, not a sprint weekend. The race is 56 laps of the 5.513 km Circuit of The Americas (official timetable on formula1.com).
Weekend timetable (Austin time, CDT)
| Session | Austin | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri Oct 23, 12:30 pm | 17:30 |
| Practice 2 | Fri Oct 23, 4:00 pm | 21:00 |
| Practice 3 | Sat Oct 24, 12:30 pm | 17:30 |
| Qualifying | Sat Oct 24, 4:00 pm | 21:00 |
| Race | Sun Oct 25, 3:00 pm | 20:00 |
Each practice session and qualifying lasts one hour. The race runs 56 laps or two hours, whichever comes first. Austin is 5 hours behind UTC all weekend; the US does not change its clocks until November 1. The timetable is subject to change, so check formula1.com in race week.
Race and qualifying time in your city
Europe changes its clocks on race day. The UK and the EU go back one hour early on Sunday, October 25, so the race is one hour "earlier" on the clock than the Saturday sessions would suggest. The times below already account for that.
| City | Qualifying (Sat) | Race (Sun) |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 2:00 pm | 1:00 pm |
| Mexico City | 3:00 pm | 2:00 pm |
| Austin, Chicago | 4:00 pm | 3:00 pm |
| New York, Toronto | 5:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
| São Paulo | 6:00 pm | 5:00 pm |
| London | 10:00 pm | 8:00 pm |
| Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome | 11:00 pm | 9:00 pm |
| Istanbul, Riyadh | 12:00 am Sun | 11:00 pm |
| Dubai | 1:00 am Sun | 12:00 am Mon |
| Karachi | 2:00 am Sun | 1:00 am Mon |
| New Delhi | 2:30 am Sun | 1:30 am Mon |
| Singapore, Kuala Lumpur | 5:00 am Sun | 4:00 am Mon |
| Tokyo | 6:00 am Sun | 5:00 am Mon |
| Sydney | 8:00 am Sun | 7:00 am Mon |
Practice 1 and Practice 3 are at 17:30 UTC on Friday and Saturday (6:30 pm in London, 7:30 pm in Paris, 11:00 pm in New Delhi). Practice 2 is at 21:00 UTC on Friday, the same clock time as Saturday's qualifying.
How to watch
- United States: every session streams live on Apple TV, which is F1's exclusive US broadcaster from 2026 under a five-year deal. A subscription costs $12.99 a month and includes F1 TV Premium; some races and all practice sessions are free in the Apple TV app (Apple Newsroom). Apple also said live practice and qualifying sessions stream on Yahoo Sports in the US (Apple, April 2026).
- United Kingdom: Sky Sports F1 shows every session live. Its listing has Practice 1 at 6:30 pm on Friday, qualifying at 10:00 pm on Saturday and the race at 8:00 pm on Sunday (Sky Sports).
- Elsewhere: F1 TV streams the sessions in most countries outside the US, and local rights holders carry the race on TV. F1's race page links to the broadcaster list for your country.
What else is on at the track
The support programme includes F1 Academy (three races, Friday to Sunday), the Porsche Carrera Cup North America and Masters Historic Formula One, according to the official timetable. The drivers' parade is at 1:00 pm on Sunday and the national anthem at 2:44 pm, 16 minutes before the start.
Where the US Grand Prix sits in the season
Austin is the first of three races in the Americas in a row: the United States Grand Prix on October 25, then Mexico City on November 1 and São Paulo on November 8, before the Las Vegas Grand Prix in late November (2026 F1 calendar). Max Verstappen won the 2025 race from pole, ahead of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc (F1 race report). We will add the 2026 result here after the race.
Quick answers
- What time does the US Grand Prix start? 3:00 pm in Austin on Sunday, October 25, 2026. That is 4:00 pm in New York, 8:00 pm in London and 9:00 pm in Paris.
- Is it a sprint weekend? No. The 2026 Austin weekend has three practice sessions, qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
- How can I watch in the US? On Apple TV, which has the exclusive US rights in 2026. Practice sessions are free in the Apple TV app.
- Why is the UK time only 5 hours ahead on Sunday? Because British clocks go back on October 25, before the race, while Texas stays on daylight time until November 1.
