When is the next F1 race? United States GP dates, UK start times and schedule

Formula 1 returns next weekend as the 2026 world championship heads to Austin, Texas, for the United States Grand Prix.

After a weekend off following the Singapore Grand Prix, the drivers and teams will be back in action at the Circuit of The Americas from Friday October 23 to Sunday October 25.

And there could be history in the making, with Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli having his first opportunity to clinch the drivers' world championship.

The 20-year-old Italian holds a commanding lead over team-mate George Russell, and could become the sport's youngest ever world champion if results go his way.

For UK fans, there is also a clock change to consider, with British Summer Time coming to an end in the early hours of race day (Sunday October 25).

Here is everything you need to know about the next F1 race, including the full schedule, UK start times, how to watch and what Antonelli needs to secure the title.

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When is the next F1 race?

The next F1 race is the 2026 United States Grand Prix, which takes place on Sunday, October 25 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

The race will start at 8pm UK time (GMT), which is 3pm local time in Austin.

The United States GP is the 18th round of the 2026 championship, with the drivers tackling 56 laps of the 5.513km COTA circuit.

Unlike the previous three editions of the event, Austin will not host a Sprint race this year, with the weekend returning to the traditional format of three practice sessions, qualifying and Sunday's Grand Prix.

F1 United States Grand Prix 2026: Full UK schedule

UK fans can expect another weekend of evening F1 action, with qualifying getting underway at 10pm on Saturday and the Grand Prix starting at 8pm on Sunday.

However, there is an important time change to be aware of.

The clocks go back one hour in the UK at 2am on Sunday, October 25, marking the end of British Summer Time (BST) and the return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

That means Friday and Saturday's sessions will take place during BST, while Sunday's Grand Prix will be held after the clocks have changed to GMT.

The United States will not change its clocks until November 1, meaning the time difference between Austin and the UK will shrink from six hours to five on race day.

Here is the full schedule, with all times correctly adjusted for UK viewers.

All session times are subject to change.

Can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 world championship in Austin?

Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli heads into the United States Grand Prix with his first mathematical opportunity to secure the 2026 F1 drivers' world championship.

The Italian finished third at the Singapore Grand Prix, extending his advantage over team-mate George Russell to 102 points with six races remaining.

Antonelli currently sits on 340 points, with Russell second on 238 and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton third on 229.

With just 125 points available after Austin, the 20-year-old could put the championship beyond the reach of his rivals with five races still to go.

For Antonelli to become world champion in Austin, the following must happen:

• Antonelli must win the United States Grand Prix.
• George Russell must finish ninth or lower.
• Lewis Hamilton must finish fifth or lower.

If those conditions are met, Antonelli will secure his maiden F1 world championship, regardless of where Max Verstappen finishes.

Victory would also see him become the youngest world champion in the sport's history, breaking the record set by Sebastian Vettel in 2010.

Should Antonelli fail to seal the title in Austin, his next opportunity will come at the Mexican Grand Prix one week later.

How to watch the United States Grand Prix in the UK

Sky Sports F1 will provide live coverage of the entire United States Grand Prix weekend, including all three practice sessions, qualifying and Sunday's race.

Subscribers can also stream the action through the Sky Sports app, while NOW offers another option for watching Sky Sports coverage without a traditional television subscription.

For fans without access to Sky Sports, Channel 4 will show free-to-air highlights of qualifying and the Grand Prix.

Where is the United States Grand Prix held?

The United States Grand Prix takes place at the Circuit of The Americas, commonly known as COTA, in Austin, Texas.

The circuit first hosted Formula 1 in 2012 and features 20 corners, including the dramatic uphill approach to Turn 1.

Its fast, sweeping opening sector draws comparisons with Silverstone and Suzuka, while the long back straight provides a major overtaking opportunity.

What race comes after the United States Grand Prix?

There will be precious little time in the 2026 F1 calendar for the drivers and teams to recover after Austin, with the Mexican Grand Prix taking place just one week later.

F1 heads to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City from October 30 to November 1, before travelling to Brazil to complete a triple-header with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from November 6-8.

The championship then moves on to Las Vegas later in November, before the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi bring the 2026 season to a close.

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Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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