Formula One

F1 Austin GP preview – start time, how to watch & more

F1 Austin GP start time preview
Photo by Icon sport

F1 makes its second stop on US soil this year, paying its yearly visit to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texans. Here is everything you need to know about this year’s US Grand Prix, with information on how to watch the race. We also have F1 predictions up for the weekend, along with odds available.

Austin GP start time and UK schedule

Austin Grand Prix date

The 2023 Austin Grand Prix will happen on Sunday, October 22nd.

Austin Grand Prix start time

The Austin Grand Prix will get underway at 8:00 pm BST (7:00 pm GMT)

The tables below have the start times for all sessions listed.

Austin GP schedule

Friday, October 20thStart time (BST)
Free practice 16:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Qualifying10:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Saturday, October 21stStart time (BST)
Sprint shootout6:30 pm – 7:15 pm
Sprint race11:00 pm
Sunday, October 22ndStart time (BST)
Race8:00 pm

How can I watch the Austin GP?

You can watch the Austin GP live in the UK on Sky Sports, which will broadcast and stream all sessions. As an alternative, you can also watch the Austin GP online on NOW. US fans can watch their local GP live on ESPN, both on TV and streaming.

Television channels

TV channelLocation
Sky Sports F1UK
ESPNUS
TSN/RDSCanada
Fox SportsAustralia

Streaming services

Streaming serviceLocation
NOW TV/Sky Go AppUK
ESPNUS
TSN DirectCanada
KayoAustralia

About the Austin GP

The US and F1 enjoyed a complicated affair. While F1 has held multiple races in America, and sometimes multiple races in a single year, it never really caught the American race fans’ attention. After many failed attempts, the series reached a new low in 2005, during the infamous tyre fiasco.

Regulations that year did not allow tyre changes during the pit stops. Due to concerns over potential failures due to the high loads on the banked corners at Indianapolis, all Michelin teams pulled out of the grid, leaving only six cars to take the start. Under loud boos from the crowd, the race turned into a terrible spectacle. The US GP never fully recovered from the blow, and found itself out of the calendar at the end of the contract, in 2008.

F1 made yet another attempt in 2012, moving to the newly-built Circuit of the Americas. And then, the perfect storm happened: F1 enjoyed an unexpected revival in fan interest thanks to social media and the highly successful Drive to Survive series. In the most unlikely fashion, Formula One had finally made its breakthrough into the American market.

COTA has since been a mainstay in the calendar, and has now been joined by Miami and Las Vegas.

Altitude and weather

F1 will get to enjoy some remnants from summer in Texas. The forecast for the weekend has a low chance of rain, with temperatures in the 26°C-29°C range.

Austin GP stats

These are the key stats you need to know for the 2023 Austin Grand Prix:

Last Austin Grand Prix2022
Circuit length5.513 km
Number of laps51
Race distance308.405 km
Lap recordCharles Leclerc, 2019 (1:36.169)

Most wins (drivers)

DriversNumber of wins
Lewis Hamilton6
Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna5
Jim Clark, Graham Hill3
Max Verstappen, Jackie Stewart, Keke Rosberg2
Bruce McLaren, Stirling Moss, Innes Ireland, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Francois Cevert, Ronnie Peterson, Carlos Reutemann, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Valtteri Bottas1

Most wins (constructors)

ConstructorsNumber of wins
Lotus10
Ferrari8
McLaren7
Mercedes5
BRM, Red Bull3
Tyrrell, Williams2
Cooper, Matra, Brabham1

Austin offers more than just racing

Austin is the capital of Texas, and also the 10th most populous city in the US. Despite its fast growth, the city has tried to stay loyal to its roots. The “Keep Austin Weird” slogan has been used to defend independent businesses, as well as the city’s diverse cultural background.


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