What makes the United States Grand Prix special – and why you should see it

The United States Grand Prix opens with a 250m run from pole to the braking point for Turn 1, an uphill corner wide enough to give drivers a choice of lines and the field a chance to reshuffle before the first lap is done.

F1 first raced at the Circuit of The Americas in 2012, in the first United States Grand Prix since 2007. The race has since drawn some of the biggest crowds in the sport, and Lewis Hamilton was crowned World Champion here in both 2015 and 2019.

Here is what makes the track such a compelling test, and why the event is such captivating viewing.

Silverstone and Hockenheim, by way of Texas

The Circuit of The Americas, in Austin, Texas, was designed by Hermann Tilke, and several of its corners echo other circuits. Turns 3 to 6 resemble Silverstone's high-speed Maggotts and Becketts sequence, while Turns 12 to 15 take their cue from the stadium section at Hockenheim in Germany.

Those two borrowed sections ask opposite things of a car. Through the esses, a driver needs rhythm, as one mistimed turn-in compromises the corners that follow. In the stadium section, it is heavy braking, slower corners that work the tyres hard and getting the power down cleanly on the way out. A car set up for one gives something away in the other.

No car is ideal for both halves of the lap, and Austin finds out which compromise works best.

When is the next United States Grand Prix?

The 2026 United States Grand Prix, the 18th round of the season, runs from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October. After hosting a Sprint weekend from 2023 to 2025, Austin returns to the standard format. Practice 1 and Practice 2 are held on Friday, Practice 3 and Qualifying on Saturday, and the Grand Prix, over 56 laps, on Sunday.

Check out the RACE HUB to see when each F1 session starts in your local time zone, wherever you are in the world.

What happened at the last United States Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen converted pole into victory for Red Bull in 2025, having also won the Sprint, and finished almost eight seconds clear of Lando Norris. Norris lost second to Charles Leclerc at the start and spent much of the race battling the Ferrari before passing him in the closing laps, with Leclerc’s team mate Hamilton fourth. The win made Verstappen the first driver to win seven Grands Prix in the United States.

Check out that RACE HUB to catch up on news, reports and highlights from every session of that season’s race.

Why we love the Circuit of The Americas

Mario Andretti, the 1978 World Champion, opened the Circuit of The Americas in October 2012 ahead of the first F1 race there. The track measures 5.513km (3.426 miles) and has 20 turns, with the Grand Prix running over 56 laps.

From the grid, the lap climbs to Turn 1, sweeps through the esses and runs the length of the back straight to Turn 12. The stadium section then winds past the stands at Turns 15 and 16, before a four-part right-hander and the final corner brings the cars back to where they started.

The fastest lap came in 2019, when Leclerc set the lap record of 1m 36.169s, though each part of the lap asks something different of a car and gives the driver behind a different way to close in for the overtake.

There is F1 track action on all three days of the United States Grand Prix weekend, from practice on Friday to Qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday. Supporting categories race across the weekend too, with the circuit opening a day earlier than normal, on Thursday, for F1 ACADEMY.

Live music runs across stages around the circuit between sessions, and headline concerts follow the track action. The official race website carries the line-up and the stage details, which are subject to change.

For those following from home, details of how to watch every session are set out below.

Memorable moments in Austin

Austin has seen World Championships decided, and more than one result settled only after the chequered flag.

Here is a selection of the moments that stand out.

2012 – In the first United States Grand Prix since 2007, Hamilton won by finishing 0.675s ahead of the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel. It was Hamilton’s last win for McLaren before his move to Mercedes for 2013.

2015 – Hamilton arrived able to seal the title, in a race interrupted by two Virtual Safety Car and two Safety Car periods. He moved ahead of his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg on Lap 49 of 56 to win, and with Vettel only third for Ferrari, Hamilton became a three-time World Champion.

2019 – Valtteri Bottas won from pole, but victory alone could not keep his title hopes alive. Hamilton, starting fifth, made a one-stop strategy work to finish second ahead of Verstappen, which was enough to secure his sixth title and a third in a row.

2021 – Hamilton took the lead from polesitter Verstappen into Turn 1, but Red Bull pitted the Dutchman first to regain it. Hamilton stopped eight laps later than his rival and closed in on fresher tyres over the final laps, but Verstappen held on to win by 1.333s and extend his championship lead to 12 points.

2023 – Verstappen took the 50th win of his career, but the order behind him changed after the finish. Post-race checks found that the plank, or skid block, which stops a car running too close to the ground, had worn beyond the limit on both Hamilton’s Mercedes and Leclerc’s Ferrari. Both were disqualified, promoting Norris to second and Carlos Sainz to third.

2024 – Leclerc started fourth and was through into the lead at Turn 1 as polesitter Norris and Verstappen ran wide, before he led Sainz home in a Ferrari 1-2. Norris passed Verstappen for third at Turn 12 in the closing laps, but was judged to have left the track and gained an advantage, and a five-second penalty dropped him to fourth.

How can I watch the United States Grand Prix?

If you can make it to Austin, head to F1 Tickets to secure your place at the circuit. F1 Experiences has a range of premium ticket packages too, getting you closer to Formula 1 than ever before.

If you are watching from elsewhere, you can find details of the broadcaster in your area by clicking here.

You can also follow every session via F1 TV Pro (in selected countries only).