F1 US Grand Prix 2026 in Austin: Times, TV and Tickets
SPORTS · FORMULA 1 · AUSTIN
Live updates: F1 United States Grand Prix, Austin, every story as it happens →
Updated 22 October 2026
The 2026 US Grand Prix is on at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October, and the race starts at 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. Apple TV carries every session for US viewers, and we will follow the weekend in our live updates from Austin.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli arrives 102 points clear in the championship and can win the title in Austin, five races early. The three Latin American drivers, Franco Colapinto, Gabriel Bortoleto and Sergio Pérez, are all on the grid.
Key Facts
- Race Sunday 25 October at 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. Austin, 1:00 p.m. PT), 56 laps of the 5.513-kilometre (3.43-mile) circuit.
- Format Standard weekend with no sprint: three practice sessions, qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
- Watch Apple TV, US$14.99 a month, with every practice session free to watch.
- Title Kimi Antonelli leads Mercedes teammate George Russell 340 to 238 points and can clinch in Austin.
- Prediction markets Polymarket gives Antonelli 97.9% to win the 2026 drivers’ title, Verstappen 1.2% (22 October 2026, 10:10 a.m. ET).
- Latin America Colapinto (Argentina, Alpine), Bortoleto (Brazil, Audi) and Pérez (Mexico, Cadillac) race in Austin.
Weekend schedule and results · F1 United States Grand Prix, Austin
Updated Thursday, 22 October, 10:50 a.m. ET. Data: OpenF1 (sessions), Jolpica/Ergast (results, standings); check against formula1.com.
US Grand Prix 2026 Schedule in ET
Austin runs on Central Daylight Time, one hour behind New York. US clocks do not change until Sunday 1 November, so these times hold all weekend.
What Is at Stake in 2026
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes leads the drivers’ championship with 340 points, 102 ahead of his teammate George Russell on 238. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) has 229, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 221, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 215 and Lando Norris (McLaren) 201, according to the standings on formula1.com.
Five races follow Austin, and a driver can score at most 25 points in each of them. Autosport calculates that Antonelli is champion in Austin if he leaves Texas at least 125 points clear of every rival, for example by winning while Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower.
The circuit has hosted Formula 1 since 2012. Verstappen won here in 2025, ahead of Norris and Leclerc.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, the market for the 2026 drivers’ champion had US$204.6 million traded on 22 October 2026 at 10:10 a.m. ET. It priced Antonelli at 97.9%, Verstappen at 1.2% and Norris, Russell, Leclerc and Hamilton at 0.1% each.
Prices are bets, not polls, and 97.9% is a trader’s estimate, not a certainty. We checked Polymarket and Kalshi, the exchange regulated in the US by the CFTC, and show only the market we could read.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
How to Watch in the US
Apple TV is the exclusive US home of Formula 1 from 2026, with every practice, qualifying session and race. ESPN, which showed the races until 2025, no longer carries them.
Every practice session can be watched without a subscription, according to Apple. Apple TV costs US$14.99 a month since 28 August, up from US$12.99, or US$119 a year.
US subscribers also get F1 TV Premium at no extra cost through their Apple Account, which adds onboard cameras and live timing. Formula 1 says F1 TV Pro is sold only in selected countries.
Tickets and Getting to COTA
Tickets are on sale through the official Formula 1 ticket site and the circuit, with three-day general admission, single-day passes, grandstands and hospitality. Neither page showed prices when we checked on 22 October, and resale prices vary widely.
The circuit sells parking, shuttle and travel packages, and sits southeast of Austin, away from the city centre. Neither organiser had published traffic plans or parking availability on 22 October, so check the circuit’s “Getting to COTA” page before you leave.
Weather for Race Weekend
Formula 1 expects a warm weekend, with temperatures up to 28°C (82°F) and a very low chance of rain. GPblog puts the highs near 30°C (86°F) with rain below 10%.
Forecasts can shift within days. Check them again on Sunday morning before you head to the track.
Latin American Drivers to Watch
Franco Colapinto of Argentina drives for Alpine and is 12th with 27 points. His teammate Pierre Gasly has 41.
Gabriel Bortoleto of Brazil drives for Audi and is 15th with 10 points, one place behind teammate Nico Hülkenberg on 13. Audi says he is keen to turn recent near-misses into a result in Austin.
Sergio Pérez of Mexico drives for Cadillac and has not scored this year, while teammate Valtteri Bottas also has zero. Pérez next races at home, in the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November.
What It Means for US Fans
The Sunday race falls in the US afternoon, at 1:00 p.m. on the West Coast, and qualifying at 5:00 p.m. ET is after the East Coast working day. Free practice on Apple TV is an easy way to try the sport before paying.
If Antonelli clinches, he would be champion with five races to go, one short of the record Michael Schumacher set in 2002. If not, the title fight continues next week in Mexico City and then in São Paulo.
What Is Not Known
Ticket prices by section and the circuit’s traffic plan were not published on the official pages we checked. The weather forecast differs between sources and may change.
We have not seen a result for any session yet, so the title scenarios above rest on the standings before the weekend.
More from us: Mexico City Grand Prix guide · São Paulo Grand Prix guide · US news
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the US Grand Prix 2026 race in Austin?
The race starts at 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, 25 October, which is 3:00 p.m. in Austin and 1:00 p.m. PT. It runs for 56 laps or two hours at most.
Is there a sprint at the 2026 US Grand Prix?
No, Austin is a standard weekend with three practice sessions, qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. The published timetable lists no sprint session.
How can I watch the US Grand Prix 2026 in the United States?
Apple TV is the exclusive US broadcaster in 2026 and costs US$14.99 a month since 28 August. Every practice session can be watched without a subscription.
Can Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 title in Austin?
Yes, Antonelli leads by 102 points and can be champion at Austin with five rounds to spare. He needs to leave Texas at least 125 points clear, the most his rivals can score in the five races that follow.
Which Latin American drivers race in Austin?
Franco Colapinto of Argentina (Alpine), Gabriel Bortoleto of Brazil (Audi) and Sergio Pérez of Mexico (Cadillac) are on the grid. Colapinto has 27 points, Bortoleto 10 and Pérez none.
Where is Circuit of the Americas and how do I get there?
The circuit is southeast of Austin, outside the city centre. The organisers sell parking, shuttle and travel packages, and you should buy them before race week.
Will it rain at the Austin Grand Prix?
Forecasts as of 22 October point to a warm, mostly dry weekend. Formula 1 expects highs near 28°C (82°F) and a very low chance of rain.
Sources: Formula 1, United States Grand Prix page · Formula 1, how to watch (22 October 2026) · Formula 1, 2026 drivers’ standings · Circuit of The Americas, F1 tickets · Formula 1 tickets · Apple TV, where to watch F1 · TechCrunch, Apple TV prices (28 August 2026) · Autosport, Antonelli title scenarios · Audi F1 Team, US Grand Prix · Polymarket, 2026 F1 drivers’ champion
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief