The Las Vegas Grand Prix opens Formula 1's closing triple header with both 2026 titles already decided, yet the competitive order behind Mercedes is tighter than at any other point in the campaign. The race at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit starts at 4am GMT on Sunday November 22, with qualifying at 4am on Saturday November 21.
It is the fourth appearance at the venue since Las Vegas returned to the calendar in 2023, and the first of three events in three weekends, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi following in the Middle East.
Mercedes: two titles, and a difficult stretch
Mercedes completed a title double at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, sealing the Constructors' Championship a week after Kimi Antonelli became F1's youngest ever world champion at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The source reports that the champions are nonetheless enduring their most difficult period of the season, with rivals regularly outperforming them.
Lando Norris claimed his third win of the season in Brazil. Ferrari may well have taken a one-two the weekend before in Mexico City had Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc not clashed on the first lap — a detail that sits awkwardly against the points gap between the two teams.
What is still at stake in the standings
Max Verstappen has featured on the last eight podiums, a run that has moved the Red Bull driver 17 points clear of Antonelli's team-mate George Russell in the battle for second, with Hamilton a point further back.
The fight for third in the constructors' standings remains live, with Red Bull 17 points clear of McLaren. The duel for seventh is tighter still, Haas holding a three-point advantage over Audi. Those two gaps, rather than the championship positions, are what the final three rounds will decide.
Las Vegas Strip Circuit: layout and speed
The street track runs to 3.8 miles and 17 corners, winding past the Venetian, the Bellagio Fountains and the Eiffel Tower at Paris, and includes a 1.2-mile flat-out blast down the Strip. Russell's dry-weather pole lap in 2024 averaged 150mph; 2025 qualifying was wet.
On that measure it is F1's second-fastest street circuit after the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia. The source also notes the layout has produced plenty of overtaking across its first three years.
Weather: cold evenings in the Mojave
The 2026 edition is expected to follow the pattern of the first three events. Daytime temperatures in the mid-to-high teens are set to give way to chilly evenings, dropping towards single figures in Nevada's Mojave Desert. No rain is currently forecast during track days.
All track sessions run in the late afternoon or evening local time. Las Vegas is eight hours behind the UK and Ireland, which is why qualifying and the race both fall at 4am GMT.
UK and Ireland session times
Times below are as published in the Sky Sports F1 schedule. Sessions marked with an asterisk are also listed on Sky Sports Main Event.
- Thursday November 19: 2am Drivers' Press Conference; 5am Paddock Uncut.
- Friday November 20: 12am Practice One (session starts 12.30am)*; 1.55am F1 Academy Practice*; 2.50am Team Bosses' Press Conference; 3.45am Practice Two (session starts 4am)*; 5.25am F1 Academy Qualifying*; 6.10am The F1 Show*.
- Saturday November 21: 12.15am Practice Three (session starts 12.30am)*; 2.10am F1 Academy Race One*; 3am Qualifying build-up*; 4am Las Vegas Grand Prix Qualifying*.
- Sunday November 22: 12.15am F1 Academy Race Two*; 2.30am Grand Prix Sunday build-up*; 4am The Las Vegas Grand Prix*; 6am Chequered Flag reaction*.
Full session re-runs are listed each morning on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event, with highlights available on the Sky Sports website and app. The source also points readers to a dedicated F1 blog for coverage across the weekend.
The original report is from skysports.com.
