The 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 1:30 am IST on Monday 26 October for viewers in India. That is Sunday 25 October at 3 pm in Austin, Texas. FanCode is listed as an official Indian broadcaster, and F1 also lists TATA Play FanCode Sports for the territory.
The race follows Kimi Antonelli’s pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session at the Circuit of The Americas. His 1:34.035 lap put him ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. That is the qualifying result; penalties can change the final starting grid. For Indian viewers, the immediate practical question is how to be ready before the overnight start.
Race start: the same moment in two time zones
| Location | Date | Start |
|---|---|---|
| Austin · UTC−5 | Sunday 25 October | 15:00 |
| India · IST / UTC+5:30 | Monday 26 October | 01:30 |
Scheduled race start, not the start of studio coverage. India is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of Austin on this date.
Why “Sunday’s race” means Monday in India
F1’s official event timetable labels Austin as UTC−5 and schedules the race for 15:00 on 25 October. Indian Standard Time is UTC+5:30. Adding 10 hours 30 minutes crosses midnight and produces 01:30 on 26 October. A calendar reminder should therefore be entered for Monday, even though international coverage calls this the Sunday race.
The official programme lists 56 laps, with the scheduled race window running 15:00–17:00 locally. The 1:30 am IST figure is the race start, not a promise about when a broadcaster’s build-up begins or when the race will finish. Open the selected service before that time and use the official event timetable below if the schedule changes.
FanCode viewing and F1 TV activation are different steps
F1’s agreement with FanCode runs through 2028 and covers practice, qualifying, Sprints and Grands Prix in India. It also provides for F1 TV Pro and Premium to be sold through FanCode. This does not mean every ordinary FanCode pass automatically includes F1 TV: choose the product that provides the service you intend to use.
For the partner F1 TV route, F1’s help page instructs viewers to have an active eligible FanCode subscription, sign in to or create their F1 account, then use Activate in the F1 TV partner offers section to link the accounts. Once linked, the viewer uses that F1 account in F1 TV on the web or in its app. The official FanCode subscription link and the full F1 instructions are provided below.
Existing subscribers should check the linking exception
F1’s help page says a subscription bought directly from F1 must be inactive before a FanCode subscription can be linked; it describes cancellation or waiting for expiry as the available sequence. A viewer whose current service already works should not assume that buying a second pass is necessary for this race. Check the existing entitlement and the partner terms before changing it.
For the overnight race, set the reminder for Monday 01:30 IST and open FanCode’s US GP page, linked below, where Race is listed separately from practice and qualifying. Confirm the chosen service and account access before the start, and revisit F1’s event page for timing or grid changes. Antonelli’s pole provides the sporting context; the date change and account setup determine whether an Indian viewer catches it live.
Official F1 timetable, qualifying report, broadcast agreement, broadcaster list and partner help checked 25 October. Times are scheduled; prices and free access are not claimed.
- Formula 1: United States GP official timetable ↗
- Formula 1: Antonelli takes pole in Austin ↗
- Formula 1: FanCode rights extension through 2028 ↗
- F1 Help: subscribe through a TV or mobile partner ↗
- Formula 1: official broadcaster list ↗
- Autocar India: 2026 US GP India timings ↗
- FanCode: United States GP event and Race link ↗
- FanCode: subscription selection ↗