Austin, Texas.
Formula 1 heads to Austin for the 19th round of the season – the United States Grand Prix – where things are getting tense with six races left in the drivers’ championship.
Circuit of the Americas is not only one of the best-loved tracks on the F1 calendar, it’s also one of the biggest events of the year with a carnival atmosphere, concerts, BBQs and over 400,000 fans, so expect plenty of action and drama over the weekend…
Weather forecast – hot and dry
The weekend is set to be warm and sunny with temperatures above 30°C (86°F). Temperatures are expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius on Saturday, giving drivers another heat test after Singapore, albeit with less humidity.
jump to: Circuit history and statistics , caste predictions , how to see , Championship standings
2:43
Will McLaren let Piastri and Norris fight for the driver position?
ESPN’s Laurence Edmundson believes that McLaren should let Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fight for the drivers’ championship now that the constructors’ title has been won.
Must read this week
Papaya Rules: McLaren boss Zak Brown says Max Verstappen is in danger keep racing rules in force Despite the team winning the Constructors’ title in Singapore.
Title Favorite?: what sets Oscar Piastri different from other drivers — Emotional intelligence, perhaps? If the pressure of this year’s title fight is weighing on the Austrian driver, he isn’t showing it in his interactions with the media.
Mercedes Refurbishment: George Russell’s long wait for a 2026 contract ends as Mercedes confirm he will remain at the team The following year with teammate Kimi Antonelli,
Confidence in Ferrari: Lewis Hamilton has Ferrari confirmed its confidence While he may have been a title contender during his time with them, he said the media only focuses on the negatives of the team’s 2025 season.
Unwrapped: Listen to the latest episode for more analysis ESPN’s F1 podcast unwrapped With F1 writers Nate Saunders and Lawrence Edmondson.
Circuit statistics and history
America’s history with F1 The sport’s origins date back to 1950 when Indianapolis hosted the event between 1950–1960. In 1959, Sebring hosted the first United States Grand Prix, and the race has since been held at five other circuits.
After F1’s four-year absence in the US, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) took over as host in 2012 when the track was opened by Mario Andretti.
During the popularity of F1 in the era of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Niki Lauda in the eighties, the US hosted additional Grands Prix including Long Beach from 1976 to the early eighties, as well as Dallas, Las Vegas and Detroit around the same period.
Now America’s calendar has Miami, Austin and Las Vegas.
COTA is a varied circuit with straights up to sector two, aces and a series of hair-pins in sector three. The high-speed corners take some inspiration from Silverstone and Hockenheim.
Circuit: Circuit of America; Austin, Texas
First F1 race: 2012
Lap Record: 1:36.169, Charles Leclerc (2019)
Lap: 56 rounds of 5.5 km
Most wins: Lewis Hamilton with six (2007, 2012, (2014–2017)
Other winners from the current grid:
– Verstappen (2021-2023)
– Leclerc (2024)
Most Poles: Hamilton (2007, 2016–2018) is tied with Michael Schumacher (2000–2002, 2006) on four points.
Other pole sitters from the current grid:
– Verstappen (2021)
– Carlos Sainz (2022)
– Leclerc (2023)
– Lando Norris (2024)
What makes it special: A modern American classic, mixing fast corners, long straights and the iconic climb out of Turn 1. The American crowds bring a festival-like atmosphere, making it one of the most popular events of the year.
What drivers say about it: “I think they have mastered the circuit. For a modern-day track, for me, it’s definitely the best. I love it.” –Daniel Ricciardo
Where to watch: 1 Turn on the grandstand. The steepest altitude change on the F1 calendar, it’s spectacular to watch from the top of the hill, especially when the pack bundles up at the start.
What happened last year?
Leclerc won Memorable US Grand PrixNorris dropped to fourth ahead of title rival Verstappen due to a late penalty.
Norris had caught Verstappen after a long battle late in the race and moved up to third, but in doing so exceeded track limits and received a five-second penalty. Verstappen finished third behind Sainz.
Who will win?
After dominating the first half of the season, McLaren has not won a race since the Dutch Grand Prix in late August.
The newly-crowned Constructors’ Champion is not convinced that COTA will be a good fit for his car – saying Brazil, Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be his best chances to win again – and is pointing to Verstappen as the favourite.
Given Verstappen’s ability to maximize a race weekend and McLaren’s propensity for panic at the end of the season, we’d agree with that assessment and back Verstappen to the win.
What does a championship look like?
mclaren Constructors title abolished This was their first consecutive win in Singapore since the early 1990s.
The drivers’ championship is still to be decided and it is close to the top with six races remaining.
Oscar Piastri leads teammate Norris by 22 points, but Verstappen trails Norris by 41 points, and has been ahead of him in the last four races (including Norris’ DNF at Zandvoort).
how to see a gp
For fans in the US only, watch live on ESPN espn+,
Live broadcast coverage in the UK is on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live, with highlights on Channel 4.
For news, analysis and updates, follow coverage with ESPN’s F1 Team Nate Saunders and Lawrence Edmondson in Austin and on social media.
Session times are below in BST (British Summer Time). Local time (CDT) is Central Daylight Time (B).ST-6 hours).
Friday
Practice: 18:30-19:30 BST
Sprint qualifying: 22:30-23:14 BST
Saturday
Sprint race: 18:00-18:30 BST
Eligibility: 22:00-23:00 BST
sunday
Race start: 20:00 BST (live text commentary build-up from 19:00 BST ESPN.co.uk/F1,
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