For most of its history, Formula 1 had at most one race a year in the United States, and in many years none at all. That has changed. Since 2023, the calendar has included three American races: Miami in the spring, Austin in the fall and Las Vegas in November. Each one has its own setting, schedule and feel.
Martin Sumichrast and his family make time for shared experiences that include Formula 1 events. This guide covers when and where the U.S. races happen and what a typical race weekend looks like.
Formula 1 in the United States: A Short History
The United States Grand Prix has moved around a lot. It has been held at Watkins Glen in New York from 1961 to 1980, in Phoenix from 1989 to 1991 and at Indianapolis from 2000 to 2007, among other venues. After a gap, the race found a permanent home at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in 2012.
Austin was the country's only Formula 1 race until Miami joined the calendar in 2022. Las Vegas followed in 2023, giving the U.S. three Grands Prix in a single season. Las Vegas had hosted Formula 1 before, at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in the early 1980s, but the modern race is a very different event.
Miami Grand Prix
When: Early May. The 2026 race weekend ran May 1 to 3.
Where: Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, about 16 miles north of downtown Miami.
The Miami circuit is built around the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium. The lap is 3.363 miles, and the race runs 57 laps. The first Miami Grand Prix was held on May 8, 2022.
Miami has quickly become a fixture. Its original ten-year deal was extended in 2025 to run through 2041. The event has also used the sprint format every year since 2024, including 2026, when it was one of six sprint weekends on the calendar.
Past winners show how fast the competitive order has shifted. Max Verstappen won the first two races for Red Bull. Lando Norris won in 2024 and Oscar Piastri in 2025, both for McLaren. Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 race for Mercedes from pole position.
United States Grand Prix in Austin
When: Late October. The 2026 race weekend is October 23 to 25.
Where: Circuit of the Americas, in southeastern Travis County outside Austin, Texas.
The Circuit of the Americas, usually called COTA, opened in October 2012 and hosted its first Formula 1 race that November. The track has hosted the United States Grand Prix every year since, except 2020, when the race was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Grand Prix layout is 3.426 miles with 20 turns, and it runs counter-clockwise. Its signature feature comes right after the start. Cars climb a gradient of more than 11 percent from the start line up to Turn 1, a hairpin known as Big Red that sits at the highest point of the circuit. The track also hosts motorcycle racing, including MotoGP.
Las Vegas Grand Prix
When: November. The 2026 race weekend is November 19 to 21.
Where: The Las Vegas Strip Circuit, a temporary street course in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The modern Las Vegas Grand Prix debuted on November 18, 2023. It is a night race held on a Saturday, and the first edition started at 10 p.m. local time. The late start lets the race run under the lights of the Strip and puts the race in a convenient early-morning slot for fans in Europe.
The circuit is 3.853 miles with 17 corners, and the race runs 50 laps. A straight of about 1.2 miles runs down the Strip, and the lap passes landmarks such as the Bellagio fountains, Caesars Palace and the Sphere. Cars reach roughly 340 km/h on the long straights.
Formula 1 has invested heavily in the event. It bought land for a permanent pit and paddock building, and the sport and the city have agreed to keep the race in Las Vegas through 2037.
What a Formula 1 Race Weekend Looks Like
A Grand Prix is a three-day event, and the on-track action builds toward the race.
Standard Race Weekend
- Friday: Two practice sessions, where teams test setups and tires.
- Saturday: A final practice session, then qualifying, which sets the starting grid.
- Sunday: The Grand Prix. The top 10 finishers score championship points, from 25 for the win down to 1 for tenth.
Sprint Race Weekend
Sprint weekends pack more competition into the same three days. There is one practice session on Friday, followed by Sprint Qualifying. Saturday brings the shorter Sprint race and then qualifying for the Grand Prix. The main race is still on Sunday. In 2026, Miami was the only U.S. race with the sprint format.
Qualifying
Qualifying is a three-part knockout. All drivers run in Q1, and the five slowest are eliminated. The next five slowest drop out in Q2. The final 10 drivers fight for pole position in Q3, and the results set the grid for Sunday.
The Las Vegas Exception
Las Vegas runs Thursday through Saturday instead of Friday through Sunday, with sessions late at night and the race on Saturday night. That shift matters when planning flights and hotels.
Planning a U.S. Formula 1 Trip
A few practical points apply to all three races:
- Check the official schedule. Session times and formats can change from year to year. Formula1.com and each race's official site publish the final timetable.
- Book early. All three are major events that draw large crowds to their host cities.
- Think about the setting. Miami is a spring weekend built around a stadium campus. Austin is a permanent circuit with big elevation changes. Las Vegas is a night street race in the middle of a city.
- Plan around the clock. Las Vegas sessions run late at night. Build rest and transportation around that.
Martin Sumichrast and Formula 1
Formula 1 is one of the live events Martin Sumichrast and his family make time for, alongside concerts like Oasis's 2025 reunion tour and PGA Tour golf. See more of the trips and events that fill the family calendar on the travel page.