23–25 Oct · Austin · Round 18
Weekend previewUnited States Grand Prix 2026 predictions
Austin opens three races in the Americas, and this year it is a standard weekend: three practice sessions before qualifying, and no Sprint.
- Practice 1
- Fri 23 Oct, 12:30 GMT-5
- Practice 2
- Fri 23 Oct, 16:00 GMT-5
- Practice 3
- Sat 24 Oct, 12:30 GMT-5
- Qualifying
- Sat 24 Oct, 16:00 GMT-5
- Grand Prix
- Sun 25 Oct, 15:00 GMT-5
Three practice sessions this time
Austin ran the Sprint format in 2025, which left teams one hour of practice before competitive running began. It is not one of the six sprint weekends in 2026, so the weekend has its full three practice sessions before qualifying on Saturday afternoon. The 2026 sprint calendar (opens in a new tab).
It is the first of three races on consecutive weekends, with Mexico City on 1 November and São Paulo on 8 November.
- Friday
- Practice 1 and Practice 2
- Saturday
- Practice 3 and Qualifying
- Sunday
- Grand Prix
- Race start
- 15:00 Austin time
What matters at COTA
Pirelli describes a lap that needs top-end speed as well as stability through its more technical sections. The circuit was partially resurfaced in 2024, which Pirelli says made it smoother and less bumpy than before. Pirelli’s circuit notes (opens in a new tab).
- km circuit
- 5.513
- race laps
- 56
- turns
- 20
- local start
- 15:00
Turn 1
The climb after the start line. The circuit has 41 metres of elevation change, and the steepest of it is the run up to Turn 1. It is a braking zone and a passing chance on every lap, and the busiest place on the circuit on the first.
High-speed direction changes
Balance through Turns 3 to 6. The run is modelled on Maggotts and Becketts. A car that moves around there loses time and heats its tyres.
Thermal degradation
Lap times late in a long run. Pirelli describes the tyre wear here as mostly thermal. The temperature passed 30°C during the 2024 race.
Track evolution
How far times fall between sessions. Rubber builds up across the weekend. In 2024 that let drivers stretch their stints further than the Sprint had suggested.
Ferrari and Mercedes are both bringing new parts
Ferrari has scheduled its main aerodynamic update for Austin, partly for logistical reasons and partly because the layout suits judging whether it works. The team has fallen back from the front since its Barcelona win. The Race on Ferrari’s plans (opens in a new tab).
Mercedes’ upgraded power unit was first expected for Baku, Sepang and Singapore, and is now reported to be more likely to arrive for this triple-header. George Russell has used up several of his engine components for the season and plans to take his grid penalty when the new specification arrives, so the race where it appears is likely to be the one where he starts further back. The Race on Russell’s penalty (opens in a new tab).
Verstappen won from pole in 2025
Max Verstappen won the Sprint and then led the Grand Prix from pole, finishing 7.959 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. Norris passed Charles Leclerc for second in the closing laps, and Lewis Hamilton was fourth. Every driver made one pit stop. The 2025 race report (opens in a new tab).
Pirelli brought C1, C3 and C4 that year, skipping a step between the Hard and the Medium to open up the choice between one stop and two. Pirelli’s 2025 selection (opens in a new tab).
Championship standings
After 14 rounds, Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ table by 81 points from George Russell. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix still have to be scored, so this table will change before Austin.
View full 2026 standingsDrivers
After 14 rounds- 1Kimi Antonelli292 pts
- 2George Russell211 pts
- 3Lewis Hamilton191 pts
- 4Lando Norris186 pts
- 5Charles Leclerc167 pts
- 6Max Verstappen145 pts
Scored through round 14, updated 13 Sept 2026.
Common questions
Is the 2026 United States Grand Prix a sprint weekend?
No. Austin ran the Sprint format in 2025, but it is not one of the six 2026 sprint weekends, so the weekend has three practice sessions before qualifying.
When is the 2026 United States Grand Prix?
The weekend runs from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October 2026 at the Circuit of the Americas. Qualifying starts at 16:00 Austin time on Saturday and the 56-lap Grand Prix starts at 15:00 on Sunday.
Who won the 2025 United States Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen, from pole position, ahead of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. He also won the Sprint that weekend.
Make your Austin picks
Choose five drivers for qualifying and five for the race. Saving them needs a free account.
The leaderboard shows the current standings. Predictions this weekend covers every session that is still open.