F1 Returns to Austin: Circuit of The Americas to Host 2026 United States Grand Prix on October 25
Austin's COTA Set for Three Days of F1 Action
The 2026 Formula 1 season swings through Texas from 23 to 25 October, with the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) confirmed as the venue for the United States Grand Prix. The weekend follows the standard three-day format: two practice sessions on Friday 23 October, a third practice and qualifying on Saturday 24 October, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday 25 October.
The Austin round sits in the closing stretch of the 2026 calendar, following September's Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix and preceding the Mexico City race a week later. It is the second United States stop of the year, after May's Miami Grand Prix.
The Numbers Behind COTA
The track measures 5.513 kilometres and the race runs to 56 laps, covering a total distance of 308.405 kilometres. Its fastest race lap remains the 1:36.169 set by Charles Leclerc in 2019 — a mark that has stood through every subsequent visit to Austin.
The layout was designed by Hermann Tilke working alongside American architectural firm HKS, and it borrows deliberately from Europe and Asia. Turns 3 through 6 echo Silverstone's high-speed Maggotts and Becketts sequence, while Turns 12 through 15 mimic Hockenheim's stadium section. The signature feature, though, is the steep uphill run into an exceptionally wide Turn 1 that has become a reliable overtaking hotspot.
From 2012 to Now: A Track Built on a Nervy Start
COTA's construction suffered several setbacks, but the wait paid off when 1978 world champion Mario Andretti opened the venue on 21 October 2012. F1 raced there for the first time later that year, staging the first United States Grand Prix since the 2007 event at Indianapolis.
More than 100,000 spectators packed the Austin grandstands for that debut, watching Lewis Hamilton take what proved to be his final win in a McLaren before his switch to Mercedes for 2013. Austin's 2025 edition delivered its own highlights, among them a millimetre-perfect move by Alex Albon on Franco Colapinto during the race.
Why Austin Remains a Fan Favourite
Austin is often described as America's coolest city, and the circuit leans into that reputation. Great food and a lively nightlife sit under the city's unofficial slogan — 'Keep Austin Weird' — while the venue itself ranks among the best modern race tracks on the calendar.
Spectators are spoiled for choice on vantage points. The main grandstand on the start-finish straight comes with in-seat food and drink service in true American style, the Turn 1 stands offer views stretching all the way to downtown Austin, and the stadium section stands at Turns 15 and 16 put fans right on top of the racing.
With the championship run-in tightening and the United States Grand Prix landing in the middle of a frantic October-November swing, COTA's 56 laps are set to carry significant weight in the 2026 title fight.