For the 2026 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix (November 19–21, 2026), organizers moved the Saturday night lights-out time two hours earlier to 8:00 PM local time (PST)—meaning East Coast fans finally get an 11:00 PM EST start instead of 1:00 AM, while European viewers wake up to a 4:00 AM GMT / 5:00 AM CET Sunday morning showdown. Better yet, you don’t need an expensive Sky Sports, ESPN+, or Apple TV bundle to watch: Austria’s ORF 1 (ORF ON) and Switzerland’s SRF Play broadcast every session live and free online.
As the opening leg of the 2026 F1 Las Vegas, Qatar & Abu Dhabi closing triple-header, the 50-lap sprint down Las Vegas Boulevard carries massive championship stakes. Below, I break down the exact 2026 session times across four time zones, how to unlock the free 1080p ORF ON and SRF streams from anywhere in under two minutes, why the 6.201 km Strip Circuit around the Sphere behaves completely differently under the 2026 active-aero rules, and who my money is on to win under the neon lights.
Next up after Vegas — The Lusail Sprint Weekend (Nov 27–29): See why the free Austrian broadcast switches from ORF ON to ServusTV On in our 2026 F1 Qatar Grand Prix & Sprint Free Streaming Guide.
Following the championship all the way to the December 4–6 finale? Bookmark our 2026 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Finale Free Streaming & Yas Marina Predictions Guide.
2026 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix schedule: New 8:00 PM PST start times
Because Las Vegas runs on a Thursday-through-Saturday night schedule, every session held at 4:30 PM or 8:00 PM local time rolls into the early morning hours of the following calendar day in the UK and Central Europe. Double-check the day column below so you don’t tune in 24 hours late:
| Session | Las Vegas (PST) | New York (EST) | UK (GMT) | Central Europe (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 (FP1) | Thu, Nov 19 – 4:30 PM | Thu, Nov 19 – 7:30 PM | Fri, Nov 20 – 12:30 AM | Fri, Nov 20 – 1:30 AM |
| Free Practice 2 (FP2) | Thu, Nov 19 – 8:00 PM | Thu, Nov 19 – 11:00 PM | Fri, Nov 20 – 4:00 AM | Fri, Nov 20 – 5:00 AM |
| Free Practice 3 (FP3) | Fri, Nov 20 – 4:30 PM | Fri, Nov 20 – 7:30 PM | Sat, Nov 21 – 12:30 AM | Sat, Nov 21 – 1:30 AM |
| Qualifying | Fri, Nov 20 – 8:00 PM | Fri, Nov 20 – 11:00 PM | Sat, Nov 21 – 4:00 AM | Sat, Nov 21 – 5:00 AM |
| Las Vegas Grand Prix (50 Laps) | Sat, Nov 21 – 8:00 PM | Sat, Nov 21 – 11:00 PM | Sun, Nov 22 – 4:00 AM | Sun, Nov 22 – 5:00 AM |
Where to watch the 2026 Las Vegas GP free (ORF ON, SRF & RTBF Auvio)
In Austria, free-to-air F1 rights are split evenly between ServusTV and public broadcaster ORF. For 2026, ORF 1 holds the live rights to the Las Vegas Grand Prix (while ServusTV airs Qatar the following week, and ORF 1 returns for the Abu Dhabi finale):
- ORF ON (Austria —
on.orf.at): Streams FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and Saturday night’s 50-lap Las Vegas Grand Prix live in 1080p50 HD. No account registration, TV license number, or payment method is required—just connect your VPN to Austria (Vienna). - SRF Play (Switzerland —
srf.ch/play): Swiss public television airs Qualifying and the Race live and free in browser or via the Play SRF app whenever you connect through a Swiss VPN server (Zurich). - RTL Zwee (Luxembourg —
rtl.lu) & RTBF Auvio (Belgium —auvio.rtbf.be): Two rock-solid European backup streams. RTL Zwee requires zero login with a Luxembourg IP; RTBF Auvio requires a free email sign-up with any Belgian postcode (e.g.,1000) and a Belgian VPN connection.
Unlock ORF ON & SRF Play for the Las Vegas GP in 60 Seconds
Connect to a fast Vienna or Zurich server—backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Inside the 6.2 km Strip Circuit: Turns 5–9 at The Sphere & 2026 X-Mode aero
Why does the Las Vegas Strip Circuit produce more overtakes than almost any other street track on the calendar? Three technical factors make the 2026 edition uniquely unpredictable:
- 1. The 1.9 km Las Vegas Boulevard Flat-Out Blast (Turns 12 to 14): Running past the Venetian, Mirage volcano site, Caesars Palace, and Bellagio fountains, cars spend nearly 17 seconds at full throttle before slamming on the brakes from 355+ km/h (220+ mph) into the tight Turn 14–16 chicane. Under the 2026 regulations, every driver flattens both front and rear wings into X-Mode (low drag) down the Strip, while a chasing car within one second gets extra electrical deployment via the 350 kW Manual Override Mode all the way to 355 km/h.
- 2. The Technical Sphere Arena Section (Turns 5–9): After screaming down Koval Lane, cars brake hard into the Turn 5 90-degree right-hander and wind around the base of the 112-meter-tall illuminated Exosphere. Because teams trim their wing angles to survive the Strip straight, the cars slide aggressively on cold tyres through the sweeping Turn 6–7–8 combination right under the Sphere’s LED dome.
- 3. Desert Night Track Temperatures (10°C–14°C / 50°F–57°F): Even with the 8:00 PM PST start time, Mojave Desert pavement in late November cools rapidly after sunset. Front tyre graining and brake glazing—not overheating—decide who survives the first stint on the Medium (C4) and Soft (C5) Pirelli compounds.
Who will win the 2026 Las Vegas GP? Standings, cold-track physics & favorites
Heading into November 2026 after Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s win at the United States Grand Prix in Austin (October 25), Mercedes holds a commanding lead in both championships (Antonelli on 365 points, Mercedes on 607 points). Yet the battle right behind him could not be closer: George Russell (242 pts), Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari (241 pts), Max Verstappen (236 pts), and Charles Leclerc (233 pts) are separated by just 9 points!
| Contender | Why Vegas Suits Their 2026 Car | Biggest Risk | Win Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Russell & Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) | The 2026 Mercedes power unit sets the benchmark for MGU-K electrical harvesting at the end of long straights, and the chassis switches its front tyres on fastest in sub-15°C night conditions. | Slipstream vulnerability on Lap 1 and late Safety Car restarts down the Strip. | Top Co-Favorites |
| Charles Leclerc & Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) | Ferrari’s mechanical kerb-riding and late-braking stability into Turn 14 (where Leclerc has repeatedly pulled off last-lap passes) plus strong straight-line X-Mode efficiency. | Front-right graining if stuck in dirty air through the Sphere section. | Top Co-Favorites |
| Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) | Unmatched racecraft in low-grip braking zones and aggressive low-drag setup gambles. | Red Bull has trailed Mercedes and Ferrari on cold, bumpy street surfaces in 2026. | Podium Threat / Dark Horse Winner |
| Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri (McLaren) | Uses the same class-leading Mercedes power unit in the back of the MCL40. | McLaren’s aero package prefers high-speed flowing corners (like Qatar) over stop-start 90° street corners. | Outside Contenders (Save for Qatar) |
Our Prediction for Las Vegas 2026: Expect a repeat of the classic Mercedes-versus-Ferrari Las Vegas duel—with Charles Leclerc and George Russell trading fastest laps into Turn 14 while Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton fight right on their gearbox. Keep an eye on home favorite Cadillac (Sergio Pérez & Valtteri Bottas) and Haas (Oliver Bearman) gambling on an alternate Safety Car tyre strategy to snatch points in front of the American crowd.
Tested VPNs for zero-lag F1 streaming (Plus November 2026 Black Friday deals)
Whether you are connecting to Vienna (for ORF ON), Zurich (for SRF Play), or a US server (to unlock your F1 TV Pro account abroad), these three VPNs delivered zero frame drops in our 2026 live sports benchmarks:
- NordVPN (Best for ORF ON, SRF & Apple TV): Delivers the fastest Vienna and Zurich speeds via NordLynx. Two-year Basic is $3.49/mo today ($94.23 for 27 months) and Complete is $3.99/mo—plus right after the Vegas race finishes, NordVPN’s November 24–December 1 special window drops Basic to $2.99/mo (€2.99 / £2.29) (see our NordVPN Black Friday 2026 guide and December 1 cutoff analysis).
- Surfshark One ($2.49/mo — Best for Multi-Screen F1 Timing + Unlimited Devices): Lets you stream ORF ON on your TV while running F1 live telemetry and onboard feeds on unlimited phones, tablets, and laptops for $2.49/mo (27 months). Read our Surfshark Black Friday 2026 review and our NordVPN vs Surfshark Black Friday 2026 comparison.
- ExpressVPN ($2.99/mo — 80% Off for 28 Months): Rock-solid 40Gbps servers in 113 countries with native Apple TV and router apps (see our ExpressVPN Black Friday 2026 guide).
Going to Vegas in person? Sphere hotel picks & casino Wi-Fi security
If you are flying into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) for race week, keep two practical tips in mind:
- Book Walking-Distance Hotels Near the Sphere (Turns 5–9): During race nights, temporary track bridges and vehicle closures turn a 10-minute Strip taxi ride into a 90-minute detour. Check our firsthand hotel breakdown: Where to Stay Near the Sphere? 5 Hotels You’ll Actually Love.
- Protect Banking, Sportsbooks & Prediction Markets on Resort Wi-Fi: Tens of thousands of fans share open casino Wi-Fi networks during race week. Keep your VPN’s Kill Switch active—and if you trade live event contracts on Kalshi or Polymarket during the race, check our guides to Best VPNs for Kalshi, Binance & Bybit in 2026 and The Best VPNs for Polymarket.
Want free-to-air NFL Sunday streams alongside the Las Vegas GP weekend? Read our guide on how to watch the 2026–27 NFL season live outside the US using 7plus Australia, TVNZ+, and DAZN Game Pass.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What time does the 2026 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix start?
Lights out for the 50-lap 2026 Las Vegas Grand Prix is at 8:00 PM PST on Saturday, November 21, 2026 (11:00 PM EST on Saturday night in New York, 4:00 AM GMT on Sunday, November 22 in the UK, and 5:00 AM CET on Sunday morning in Central Europe).
Is the 2026 Las Vegas GP on ORF 1 or ServusTV in Austria?
The 2026 Las Vegas Grand Prix is broadcast live and free on ORF 1 and ORF ON (on.orf.at) in Austria. (ServusTV broadcasts the Qatar Grand Prix the following weekend, November 27–29, before ORF 1 airs the Abu Dhabi finale on December 4–6.)
Can I watch F1 TV Pro in the UK or Europe during the Las Vegas GP?
If you have an active F1 TV Pro subscription and are traveling in a region where live races are geoblocked (like the UK or Germany), connect to a fast VPN server in the United States (see our 2,448-server NordVPN US test) or the Netherlands before opening the F1 TV app.
Thank goodness they moved the race start to 8:00 PM local time (11:00 PM EST) instead of that brutal 1:00 AM East Coast start from the first two years! Between Leclerc and Russell, who do you think handles the cold C5 Softs better in Qualifying on Friday night?
11:00 PM EST is a massive upgrade for East Coast fans! Over a single flying lap on the C5 Soft in 12°C desert air, Russell and Antonelli’s 2026 Mercedes has been switching the front axle on slightly faster in Q3, though Leclerc is always magic on the brakes into Turn 14.
Having P2 to P5 in the championship separated by 9 points (Russell 242, Hamilton 241, Verstappen 236, Leclerc 233) going into the final races is unreal. Setting my alarm for 4:50 AM CET on Sunday November 22 to watch on ORF ON!
We stayed near the Sphere last year using your hotel list and being able to walk back to the room in 12 minutes after the checkered flag while Strip traffic was gridlocked was priceless.
That post-race walk past the temporary track bridges is the biggest insider hack in Vegas! Glad the Sphere hotel guide saved you from the rideshare chaos.