News Summary
- The 2026 Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place on Saturday evening, November 21, local time, corresponding to Sunday, November 22, in Australia and New Zealand.
- The race starts at 15:00 AEDT in Sydney and 17:00 NZDT in Auckland.
- Qualifying takes place on Saturday afternoon in both countries, with the race forming part of the final three rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Formula 1 returns to the Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 19–21, with Australian and New Zealand fans able to watch the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon rather than late at night. The race starts at 15:00 Australian Eastern Daylight Time in Sydney and Melbourne, and at 17:00 New Zealand Daylight Time in Auckland.
Although the race takes place on Saturday evening in Las Vegas, the time difference means it will already be Sunday in Australia and New Zealand.
The event is the first of the final three rounds of the 2026 championship, followed by Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Las Vegas F1 2026 schedule for Australia and New Zealand
The following timetable has been converted from Formula 1’s official Las Vegas schedule.
| Session | Sydney / Melbourne AEDT | Auckland NZDT |
|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri Nov 20, 11:30 | Fri Nov 20, 13:30 |
| Practice 2 | Fri Nov 20, 15:00 | Fri Nov 20, 17:00 |
| Practice 3 | Sat Nov 21, 11:30 | Sat Nov 21, 13:30 |
| Qualifying | Sat Nov 21, 15:00 | Sat Nov 21, 17:00 |
| Grand Prix | Sun Nov 22, 15:00 | Sun Nov 22, 17:00 |
All times are subject to any subsequent changes announced by Formula 1.
The schedule means qualifying and the race take place during the afternoon for Australian and New Zealand audiences, making Las Vegas one of the more convenient events to follow live from the region.
For viewers elsewhere in Australia, the race begins at 14:30 in Adelaide, 14:00 in Brisbane, 13:30 in Darwin and 12:00 in Perth.
Why is the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday in Australia?
Las Vegas operates on Pacific Standard Time in November, eight hours behind Coordinated Universal Time.
Sydney and Melbourne operate on Australian Eastern Daylight Time, eleven hours ahead of UTC, while Auckland operates on New Zealand Daylight Time, thirteen hours ahead.
The resulting time difference means that Saturday evening in Las Vegas corresponds to Sunday afternoon in both countries.
The race is scheduled for 20:00 local time on November 21, which becomes 15:00 in Sydney and Melbourne and 17:00 in Auckland on November 22.
This is particularly important for fans checking the calendar because the official event dates and local broadcast dates are different.
Piastri hopes McLaren improvements carry into Las Vegas
Oscar Piastri heads to Las Vegas after finishing sixth at the São Paulo Grand Prix, while teammate Lando Norris secured victory for McLaren.
The Australian believes the team’s latest aerodynamic developments improved the MCL40, although he acknowledged that the car still needs to become faster and easier to drive.
Piastri demonstrated competitive pace on soft tyres in Brazil but lost time in traffic and was unable to match Norris’ result.
McLaren has already confirmed further updates for Las Vegas, providing another opportunity for Piastri to build momentum before the season ends.
The Australian will also need to adapt to a circuit that presents very different challenges from Interlagos.
Cold temperatures could complicate tyre management
The Las Vegas Strip Circuit features long straights, heavy braking zones and relatively low evening temperatures.
Those characteristics can make it difficult for drivers to generate and maintain the correct tyre temperature.
Norris has already warned that the cold conditions could make the 2026 tyres extremely difficult to manage.
The McLaren driver explained that tyres become particularly difficult to drive when they fall outside their optimal operating window.
Max Verstappen also raised concerns about the narrow temperature range of the wet-weather compounds, although his comments addressed a different aspect of tyre performance.
Las Vegas is therefore expected to test teams’ understanding of tyre preparation, aerodynamic efficiency and energy deployment.
Lawson returns to Las Vegas with Racing Bulls future unresolved
Liam Lawson will also attract significant interest among New Zealand fans as the championship approaches its conclusion.
The Racing Bulls driver finished seventh in São Paulo after briefly running second during the opening lap.
His performance strengthened his position in the battle for a 2027 seat, but the team has not yet formally confirmed its complete driver line-up.
Lawson has moved closer to securing his Racing Bulls future after a strong Brazilian weekend.
Las Vegas presents another opportunity for the New Zealander to demonstrate his competitiveness, particularly as Racing Bulls attempts to consolidate its position in the constructors’ championship.
The circuit’s long straights may also create a difficult challenge for the team, with Lawson warning that Alpine could be competitive because of its straight-line speed.
How to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Australian and New Zealand viewers should use the local start times above when planning to follow the weekend.
The Grand Prix begins at 15:00 AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne and at 17:00 NZDT in Auckland on Sunday, November 22.
Qualifying takes place on Saturday afternoon in both countries.
Television and streaming availability should be checked with the relevant rights holders closer to the event, as the official race timetable does not itself establish local broadcast arrangements.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the final rounds of the 2026 championship in its Formula 1 section.
