News Summary
- United States Grand Prix qualifying begins today at 16:00 CDT in Austin, equivalent to 17:00 Eastern, 22:00 BST in the United Kingdom and 02:30 Sunday in India.
- Apple TV carries the session live in the United States, with Sky Sports F1 in the UK, FanCode in India and Fox Sports/Kayo in Australia.
- Charles Leclerc led both Friday practice sessions, but Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen remained close as teams prepared for Saturday’s fight for pole position.
Formula 1 qualifying for the 2026 United States Grand Prix takes place today, Saturday (October 24), at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The session starts at 16:00 local time and will determine the provisional starting order for Sunday’s race, subject to grid penalties and any subsequent decisions by the stewards.
For American viewers, qualifying begins at 17:00 Eastern, 16:00 Central and 14:00 Pacific. The session starts at 22:00 BST in the United Kingdom, while fans in India will need to tune in at 02:30 on Sunday morning.
In Australia, qualifying takes place on Sunday morning, beginning at 08:00 in Melbourne and Sydney.
The United States Grand Prix follows Formula 1’s traditional format in 2026. There is no sprint in Austin this weekend, meaning the drivers complete three practice sessions before Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s 56-lap Grand Prix.
What time is F1 qualifying in Austin today?
Qualifying begins at 16:00 Central Daylight Time on Saturday, October 24. The following table shows the start time across the championship’s main international markets.
| Country / City | Local date | Qualifying start |
|---|---|---|
| United States — Austin (CDT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 16:00 |
| United States — New York (EDT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 17:00 |
| United States — Chicago (CDT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 16:00 |
| United States — Denver (MDT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 15:00 |
| United States — Los Angeles (PDT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 14:00 |
| Canada — Toronto (EDT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 17:00 |
| Canada — Vancouver (PDT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 14:00 |
| United Kingdom — London (BST) | Sat, Oct 24 | 22:00 |
| Ireland — Dublin (IST) | Sat, Oct 24 | 22:00 |
| Brazil — Brasília (BRT) | Sat, Oct 24 | 18:00 |
| Mexico — Mexico City (CST) | Sat, Oct 24 | 15:00 |
| South Africa — Johannesburg (SAST) | Sat, Oct 24 | 23:00 |
| India — New Delhi (IST) | Sun, Oct 25 | 02:30 |
| Singapore (SGT) | Sun, Oct 25 | 05:00 |
| Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur (MYT) | Sun, Oct 25 | 05:00 |
| Australia — Perth (AWST) | Sun, Oct 25 | 05:00 |
| Australia — Brisbane (AEST) | Sun, Oct 25 | 07:00 |
| Australia — Sydney / Melbourne (AEDT) | Sun, Oct 25 | 08:00 |
| New Zealand — Auckland (NZDT) | Sun, Oct 25 | 10:00 |
The times refer to the scheduled start of qualifying, not the beginning of television coverage.
The United Kingdom remains on British Summer Time on Saturday evening and moves back to Greenwich Mean Time in the early hours of Sunday. Consequently, Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix must be displayed using different UK time-zone designations.
Where to watch F1 qualifying live in the US, UK, India and Australia
Formula 1’s television and streaming arrangements differ by country. For the United States Grand Prix, the main broadcasters are:
| Market | Live TV / Streaming |
|---|---|
| United States | Apple TV |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports F1 / NOW |
| Ireland | Sky Sports / NOW |
| Canada | TSN / RDS |
| India | FanCode |
| Australia | Fox Sports / Foxtel / Kayo Sports |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport |
| South Africa | SuperSport |
| Singapore | beIN SPORTS |
| Malaysia | Official local rights holder / F1 TV where available |
| Spain | DAZN |
| Italy | Sky Sport F1 / NOW |
| Netherlands | Viaplay |
| Germany | Sky Sport F1 |
Coverage and subscription requirements vary by market. F1 TV is available in eligible territories under the applicable subscription packages.
How to watch F1 qualifying in the United States
Apple TV is Formula 1’s official American broadcasting home for the 2026 season, carrying the United States Grand Prix weekend, including practice, qualifying and Sunday’s race.
Qualifying begins at 17:00 Eastern and 14:00 Pacific.
Subscribers can access the session through the Apple TV app on supported devices, including televisions, phones, tablets and streaming platforms.
The session takes place at Circuit of The Americas in Texas, meaning American viewers have an afternoon qualifying programme ahead of Sunday’s race.
How to watch F1 qualifying in the United Kingdom
Sky Sports F1 will broadcast qualifying live on Saturday evening, with the session beginning at 22:00 BST.
Sky’s scheduled qualifying build-up begins at 20:30 BST. Coverage is also available through Sky Sports Main Event, while eligible NOW subscribers can stream the action without a traditional satellite television subscription.
Channel 4 provides free-to-air highlights rather than the full qualifying session live.
British viewers should note that the country’s clocks change overnight. Sunday’s race will start at 20:00 GMT, not BST.
How to watch F1 qualifying in India
FanCode provides Formula 1 coverage in India.
The Austin qualifying session begins at 02:30 IST on Sunday, October 25, with viewers needing to stay awake into the early morning hours to watch the final battle for pole position.
Fans should check their FanCode subscription or event pass for the available coverage and replay options.
How to watch F1 qualifying in Australia and New Zealand
Australian audiences can follow the United States Grand Prix through Fox Sports, Foxtel and Kayo Sports.
Qualifying begins on Sunday at 08:00 AEDT in Melbourne and Sydney, 07:00 AEST in Brisbane and 05:00 AWST in Perth.
In New Zealand, Sky Sport carries Formula 1, with qualifying starting at 10:00 NZDT on Sunday.
Why Austin qualifying could be particularly close
Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions for Ferrari, recording a fastest lap of 1:35.291 during FP2.
However, the margins at the front were narrow. Antonelli finished only 0.042 seconds behind, while Verstappen was third, 0.189s off the pace.
Lewis Hamilton completed the top four, followed by George Russell, while McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were seventh and eighth in FP2.
Ferrari has introduced aerodynamic improvements for Austin, but Leclerc acknowledged that the team could face stronger competition when its rivals complete their final qualifying preparations.
The Ferrari driver’s assessment of the threat posed by Antonelli and Verstappen provides further context.
The final practice session on Saturday will offer another indication of the competitive order, with teams adjusting their cars before qualifying.
How does F1 qualifying work at the United States Grand Prix?
With 22 drivers competing in Formula 1 during 2026, qualifying is divided into three knockout segments.
| Session | Duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 18 minutes | Six slowest drivers eliminated |
| Q2 | 15 minutes | Six more drivers eliminated |
| Q3 | 12 minutes | Ten remaining drivers fight for pole |
Drivers must complete competitive laps within the track limits to remain in contention.
That requirement could be particularly important at Austin, where several competitors had lap times deleted during Friday’s practice sessions.
The circuit’s bumps have also attracted criticism from Norris and Verstappen, with both drivers concerned about the physical impacts caused by the uneven surface.
Their concerns are detailed in Norris’s warning about Austin’s persistent bumps.
Grid penalties could change Sunday’s starting order
The fastest drivers in qualifying are not necessarily guaranteed to occupy the same positions on Sunday’s grid.
Three competitors have already received power-unit-related grid sanctions for Austin.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto faces a 20-place penalty, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto has a ten-place sanction and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad must drop five places.
The penalties will be applied to the qualifying classification according to the sporting regulations.
The details are available in the FIA’s three United States Grand Prix grid penalties.
For that reason, the qualifying results and the official race starting grid may differ.
When is the United States Grand Prix race on Sunday?
Sunday’s Grand Prix begins at 15:00 local time in Austin, corresponding to 16:00 Eastern, 13:00 Pacific and 20:00 GMT in the United Kingdom.
Indian viewers will see the race start at 01:30 IST on Monday, October 26, while Australian viewers can follow it from 07:00 AEDT on Monday.
The race covers 56 laps of Circuit of The Americas.
For additional broadcast information, see where to watch the 2026 United States Grand Prix live.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
