{"id":4224,"date":"2026-10-22T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4224"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:33:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T15:33:40","slug":"what-time-is-f1-practice-at-austin-friday-fp1-and-fp2-start-times-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/what-time-is-f1-practice-at-austin-friday-fp1-and-fp2-start-times-worldwide\/","title":{"rendered":"What time is F1 practice at Austin? Friday FP1 and FP2 start times worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>FP1 at the United States Grand Prix begins at 12:30 local time in Austin on Friday, October 23<\/strong>, followed by FP2 at 16:00.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>British fans can watch at 18:30 and 22:00 BST<\/strong>, while the sessions begin at 23:00 Friday and 02:30 Saturday in India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Colton Herta will replace Sergio P\u00e9rez at Cadillac during FP1<\/strong>, while Ferrari evaluates its final major aerodynamic package of 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Formula 1 returns to the track at Circuit of The Americas on Friday, October 23, with the first free-practice session for the 2026 United States Grand Prix beginning at 12:30 local time in Austin<\/strong>, followed by a second session at 16:00 as Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren prepare for the 18th round of the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For American viewers, FP1 begins at <strong>13:30 Eastern and 10:30 Pacific<\/strong>, while FP2 starts at 17:00 Eastern and 14:00 Pacific. In the United Kingdom, the sessions are scheduled for <strong>18:30 and 22:00 BST<\/strong>, with Indian fans able to watch at 23:00 Friday and 02:30 Saturday IST.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opening day will also feature American driver Colton Herta in Cadillac&#8217;s car, replacing Sergio P\u00e9rez during FP1, while Ferrari begins evaluating the final major aerodynamic update prepared for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin is not a sprint weekend in 2026, meaning teams have two hours of practice on Friday and another hour on Saturday before qualifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is F1 FP1 at Austin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first free-practice session takes place on Friday, October 23, from <strong>12:30 to 13:30 Central Daylight Time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Country \/ City<\/th><th>Local date<\/th><th>FP1 start<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United States \u2014 Austin (CDT)<\/strong><\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td><strong>12:30<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 New York (EDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>13:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Chicago (CDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>12:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Denver (MDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>11:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Los Angeles (PDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>10:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada \u2014 Toronto (EDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>13:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada \u2014 Vancouver (PDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>10:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United Kingdom \u2014 London (BST)<\/strong><\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td><strong>18:30<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ireland \u2014 Dublin (IST)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>18:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Brazil \u2014 Bras\u00edlia (BRT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>14:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>South Africa \u2014 Johannesburg (SAST)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>19:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>India \u2014 New Delhi (IST)<\/strong><\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td><strong>23:00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Singapore (SGT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>01:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Malaysia \u2014 Kuala Lumpur (MYT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>01:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Perth (AWST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>01:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Brisbane (AEST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>03:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Sydney \/ Melbourne (AEDT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>04:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New Zealand \u2014 Auckland (NZDT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>06:30<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>All times refer to the scheduled beginning of FP1, not the start of television coverage.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is F1 FP2 at Austin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second free-practice session begins at <strong>16:00 local time on Friday<\/strong>, approximately two and a half hours after FP1 finishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Country \/ City<\/th><th>Local date<\/th><th>FP2 start<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United States \u2014 Austin (CDT)<\/strong><\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td><strong>16:00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 New York (EDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>17:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Chicago (CDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>16:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Denver (MDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>15:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Los Angeles (PDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>14:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada \u2014 Toronto (EDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>17:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada \u2014 Vancouver (PDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>14:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United Kingdom \u2014 London (BST)<\/strong><\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td><strong>22:00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ireland \u2014 Dublin (IST)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>22:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Brazil \u2014 Bras\u00edlia (BRT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>18:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>South Africa \u2014 Johannesburg (SAST)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>23:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>India \u2014 New Delhi (IST)<\/strong><\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td><strong>02:30<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Singapore (SGT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>05:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Malaysia \u2014 Kuala Lumpur (MYT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>05:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Perth (AWST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>05:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Brisbane (AEST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>07:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Sydney \/ Melbourne (AEDT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>08:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New Zealand \u2014 Auckland (NZDT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>10:00<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>FP2 is scheduled to last 60 minutes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second session is particularly important for evaluating race pace because teams can complete longer runs, compare tyre compounds and analyse degradation before finalising their setups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Colton Herta replaces Sergio P\u00e9rez during FP1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of Friday&#8217;s main attractions will be <strong>Colton Herta&#8217;s fourth official Formula 1 practice appearance of 2026<\/strong>, this time in front of an American audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cadillac development driver will replace Sergio P\u00e9rez for the opening session before the Mexican returns to the MAC-26 for FP2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herta has already participated in practice sessions at Barcelona, Budapest and Monza, gaining experience with Cadillac&#8217;s machinery while continuing his Formula 2 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Austin appearance carries additional significance because the American won his first IndyCar race at Circuit of The Americas in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/herta-replaces-perez-at-cadillac-for-austin-f1-practice-in-emotional-american-homecoming\/\">Herta will take over P\u00e9rez&#8217;s Cadillac for Friday&#8217;s opening practice<\/a>, completing another stage of his development programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The precise moment when Herta leaves the garage will depend on Cadillac&#8217;s running plan, but the session begins at 12:30 local time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/what-time-will-colton-herta-drive-cadillacs-f1-car-at-austin\/\">complete guide to Herta&#8217;s Austin appearance<\/a> includes international start times and information about his Cadillac programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ferrari prepares to evaluate final SF-26 upgrade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferrari will use Friday&#8217;s sessions to evaluate its final major aerodynamic package of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Italian manufacturer has prepared a revised floor, modifications to the sidepods and changes to the upper bodywork in an attempt to improve aerodynamic efficiency and consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The update arrives after Ferrari demonstrated improved competitiveness in Malaysia and Singapore, although Red Bull has also made substantial progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/ferrari-bets-on-final-f1-upgrade-at-austin-as-hamilton-and-leclerc-chase-red-bull\/\">The final Ferrari upgrade package is centred on the SF-26&#8217;s floor<\/a>, with Hamilton and Leclerc expected to provide feedback during the practice programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin&#8217;s combination of high-speed corners, long straights and slower sections makes it a demanding venue for evaluating aerodynamic performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opening sector places particular emphasis on front-end response, while the long back straight and slower corners provide opportunities to assess drag, acceleration and traction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Friday&#8217;s sessions will help Ferrari determine whether the latest changes offer sufficient improvements before qualifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mercedes and Red Bull prepare for another title battle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes arrives in Austin leading both championships, with <strong>Kimi Antonelli holding a 102-point advantage over George Russell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Italian has his first mathematical opportunity to secure the Drivers&#8217; Championship on Sunday, although he requires a particular combination of results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/can-antonelli-win-the-f1-title-in-austin-every-result-he-needs\/\">Antonelli must win in Austin, with Russell ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower<\/a> to become champion with five rounds remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Red Bull has meanwhile recovered strongly since Azerbaijan, with Verstappen winning the Malaysian and Singapore Grands Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman will attempt to secure a third consecutive victory and continue Red Bull&#8217;s pursuit of McLaren in the Constructors&#8217; Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Friday&#8217;s practice sessions will provide the first indication of whether Mercedes remains the benchmark or whether Red Bull and Ferrari can challenge for pole position and victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to watch F1 practice at Austin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Formula 1&#8217;s authorised broadcasting partners will provide coverage of Friday&#8217;s sessions in the principal international markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Country \/ Market<\/th><th>TV and streaming<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United States<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Apple TV<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United Kingdom<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Sky Sports F1 \/ NOW<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>India<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>FanCode<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Australia<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Fox Sports \/ Foxtel \/ Kayo Sports<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada<\/td><td>TSN \/ RDS<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New Zealand<\/td><td>Sky Sport<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ireland<\/td><td>Sky Sports \/ NOW<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>South Africa<\/td><td>SuperSport<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Coverage and subscription conditions vary by territory.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple TV carries Formula 1 in the United States during the 2026 season, while Sky Sports F1 provides coverage in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indian viewers can follow the sessions through FanCode, with Australian coverage available through Fox Sports, Foxtel and Kayo Sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/where-to-watch-the-2026-us-grand-prix-live-in-the-us-uk-india-and-australia\/\">international United States Grand Prix viewing guide<\/a> provides additional information about the available platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens after Friday&#8217;s practice sessions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States Grand Prix continues on Saturday with FP3 at 12:30 local time, followed by qualifying at 16:00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Session<\/th><th>Austin (CDT)<\/th><th>UK<\/th><th>India (IST)<\/th><th>Bras\u00edlia (BRT)<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Friday FP1<\/td><td>12:30<\/td><td>18:30 BST<\/td><td>23:00 Fri<\/td><td>14:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Friday FP2<\/td><td>16:00<\/td><td>22:00 BST<\/td><td>02:30 Sat<\/td><td>18:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Saturday FP3<\/td><td>12:30<\/td><td>18:30 BST<\/td><td>23:00 Sat<\/td><td>14:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Saturday qualifying<\/td><td>16:00<\/td><td>22:00 BST<\/td><td>02:30 Sun<\/td><td>18:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sunday Grand Prix<\/td><td>15:00<\/td><td>20:00 GMT<\/td><td>01:30 Mon<\/td><td>17:00<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United Kingdom switches from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time during the early hours of Sunday, October 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/is-the-united-states-gp-a-sprint-weekend-austins-2026-f1-format-explained\/\">returns to the traditional Formula 1 weekend format without a sprint race in 2026<\/a>, giving teams three practice sessions before qualifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, at 15:00 local time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Formula 1 returns to Circuit of The Americas on Friday, October 23, with two free-practice sessions as Cadillac gives Colton Herta a home appearance and Ferrari prepares to evaluate its final major upgrade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020318174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Charles Leclerc in Austin","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Ferrari","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":93,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[806,76,690,718],"42wp_author":[93],"class_list":["post-4224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-austin","tag-colton-herta","tag-f1-practice","tag-united-states-gp","42wp_author-marcos-gil"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4224"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4225,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4224\/revisions\/4225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020318174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4224"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}