Round 17 of 22 · United States Grand Prix

United States Grand Prix

3:00 PM CDT · Austin · Austin

Entries

Lights out 15:00 Austin time Detecting timezone...
--days
--hours
--mins
--secs

Austin

Austin, United States · America/Chicago

Circuit of the Americas is a 5.513 km (3.426 miles) purpose-built facility in southeast Austin, Texas, with 20 corners across a 56-lap race distance of 308.405 km. Opened in 2012 as the first permanent F1 circuit in the United States, it was designed by Hermann Tilke with inspiration drawn from some of F1’s greatest corners. Charles Leclerc holds the lap record at 1:36.169, set in 2019.

The run up to Turn 1 climbs dramatically before the track drops away on the other side, creating a blind-entry corner that produces some of the best first-lap action of the season. The Turn 1 complex was modelled on Silverstone’s multi-apex sequences. The middle sector combines fast sweeps with technical hairpins, while the back section features a long straight with a DRS zone and heavy braking into Turn 12. A second DRS zone on the main straight into Turn 1 provides additional overtaking opportunities. The elevation changes throughout the lap are reminiscent of the Nurburgring.

COTA brought F1 back to America after the acrimonious end of the Indianapolis era. On 18 November 2012, Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural race. On 21 October 2018, Kimi Raikkonen took his final F1 victory here at the age of 39. On 22 October 2023, Max Verstappen, already champion for the third consecutive year after clinching the title at Qatar, won the race at COTA. The growth of F1’s US audience, accelerated by Netflix’s Drive to Survive, has made the Austin race a sellout event that combines motorsport with the city’s famous music and food culture.

The timezone is America/Chicago at CDT (UTC-5). A 14:00 local start is 19:00 GMT and 21:00 CEST. European fans face an evening start, while viewers in Asia get an early Monday morning window. For the domestic US audience, the timing is ideal across all time zones. Check United States time and Austin time for conversions.

October in Austin is warm, with temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius and a chance of afternoon storms. The track surface is notoriously bumpy, which affects car setup and tyre wear. Teams that manage the bumps well often find a significant performance advantage. Austin’s live music scene, centered around the Sixth Street entertainment district, gives the race weekend an atmosphere that feels authentically American.

See the full race schedule and session times at the United States Grand Prix page.

Live Race Tracker

When the United States Grand Prix goes live, this page transforms into a real-time race tracker. Every car plotted on the Austin circuit map, updating multiple times per second. No app to install, no subscription required.

The tracker connects directly to F1's official timing feed via WebSocket and streams live data to your browser: race positions, gap to leader, interval to car ahead, tire compound, pit stop count, and lap times for all 20 drivers.

Click any driver to see their full race data: fastest lap, last lap time, grid position, tire strategy with stint history, and points scored. The driver card follows their car on the circuit map showing position and gap in real time.

Team radio messages appear in a live feed as they are broadcast. These are the actual audio recordings from the pit wall: engineer instructions, driver reactions, pit calls, and celebrations. Each message has a play button. During the United States Grand Prix, expect 40 to 60 radio clips across all teams.

Race control decisions appear instantly: safety car deployments, yellow flags, driver investigations, penalties, and DRS activation. You see what the stewards are looking at before the television broadcast catches up.

The tracker activates automatically 30 minutes before the session starts and stays connected through red flags, weather delays, and safety cars. If the session is interrupted, the tracker waits and reconnects when racing resumes.

The 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas starts at 14:00 CDT (UTC-5) on Sunday 25 October. The 5.513 km circuit runs 56 laps for a race distance of 308.41 km, rising steeply uphill into Turn 1 at the start of every lap.

This is not a sprint weekend. Practice, qualifying, and the race run across the standard three-day format.

The Circuit of the Americas was the track that proved America could host a proper Grand Prix. Built on Texas hill country southeast of Austin, the circuit combines elements borrowed from the best venues in the world. Turn 1 rises steeply uphill into a blind apex, the multi-apex Esses through the back section demand precision, and the long back straight into the heavy braking zone at Turn 12 creates genuine overtaking opportunities.

COTA has hosted the United States Grand Prix since 2012, with Lewis Hamilton winning five of the first eight editions. Kimi Raikkonen took his final F1 victory here in 2018 for Ferrari, 114 races after his previous win. In 2023, Max Verstappen arrived at Austin as the newly-crowned three-time World Champion, having sealed the title at Qatar the previous weekend, then delivered a dominant sprint weekend performance. The 400,000-plus weekend attendance figures reflect the explosive growth of F1’s American fanbase, driven in part by the Netflix series Drive to Survive.

For American fans, this is the most accessible F1 race on the calendar. A 14:00 CDT Sunday start means 15:00 Eastern and 12:00 Pacific, with no alarm clocks required. European viewers get a comfortable evening at 21:00 CEST and 20:00 BST. Australian and Asian fans face less favorable timing at 05:00 Monday AEST and 03:00 Monday JST. Check United States time for the exact start in your location.

The 2026 regulations bring the most significant technical overhaul in a generation. COTA, with its mix of high-speed corners, heavy braking zones, and elevation changes, should be an ideal proving ground for the new active aero and power unit formula. Austin itself has become an essential part of the F1 weekend, with the city’s live music culture and food scene turning the race into something closer to a festival than a race meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is the United States Grand Prix in my timezone?

The United States Grand Prix starts at 15:00 local time in Austin on 2026-10-25. This page automatically converts the start time to your local timezone.

Where is the United States Grand Prix held?

The United States Grand Prix takes place at Austin in Austin, United States.

Is the United States Grand Prix a sprint weekend?

No, the United States Grand Prix follows the standard weekend format with practice, qualifying, and the race.

Can I watch the United States Grand Prix live timing for free?

Yes. whensport.com provides a free live race tracker for the United States Grand Prix with real-time car positions on a circuit map, live standings, gap times, tire strategy, pit stops, and playable team radio audio. No app or subscription required. The tracker activates 30 minutes before the session starts.

Can I listen to United States Grand Prix team radio live?

Yes. The whensport.com live tracker streams real F1 team radio audio during the United States Grand Prix. You hear actual driver-engineer conversations as they happen, with a play button for each message. Expect 40 to 60 radio clips during the race.