Motorsport · Circuit of the Americas
Formula 1 United States Grand Prix 2026
The one Austin weekend where rideshare legally cannot reach the gates.
Circuit of the Americas sits about 15 miles southeast of downtown, past the airport, on a road network built for a facility that fills a few times a year. Race weekend is one of those times.
Track activity runs Friday October 23 through Sunday October 25, with the Grand Prix on Sunday. COTA lists the wider event as October 22 through 25.
One rule shapes every arrival decision for this weekend, and most people do not find out about it until they are standing in a gravel lot.
Race weekend
| Fri, Oct 23 | Practice | Track activity begins | |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Qualifying | Also a Longhorns home game downtown | |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Grand Prix | Race day |
Getting there, and getting out
Rideshare does not reach the gates
During racing events, rideshare vehicles are not permitted on COTA Boulevard. Uber and Lyft operate out of the McAngus Lot, and a complimentary shuttle runs from there to the Ticketmaster Box Office near Grand Plaza. So an Uber to COTA is really an Uber, then a lot, then a shuttle, then a walk. It works. It is just not the thing people think they are buying.
How a private car gets closer
COTA requires a pre-purchased parking pass for any vehicle entering COTA Boulevard to park on site. We carry passes for race weekend, so our vehicles run the boulevard rather than getting turned back to the McAngus Lot with everyone else. That is the single biggest reason a private car is worth more at COTA than at almost any other venue we serve, and it is a difference you cannot buy your way into on the day.
The routes in
From Austin and Dallas, TX-130 south to Exit 451 toward Elroy Road, then about two miles. From Houston and Bastrop, State Highway 71 west to the Kellam Road exit, then roughly three miles. From San Antonio and San Marcos, I-35 north to TX-45 East. TX-130 is a toll road and on race weekend it is worth every cent of it.
Which lot is which
Lots L, R, and S come off Elroy Road. Lots A, N, and T come off FM-812. Lots C, D, E, F, G, H, and K sit off Elroy Road and COTA Boulevard. If someone in your party is driving separately, agree on a lot letter before you leave, because cell service at the circuit gets unreliable once the crowd is in.
The shuttle is a real option
COTA sells round-trip shuttle passes from downtown Austin and from the Travis County Expo Center. For one or two people who are price-sensitive and not in a hurry, that is the sensible choice and we will say so. Private cars earn their keep for groups, for corporate guests on a schedule, and for the Sunday exit.
October 24 is a double event day
Saturday October 24 is qualifying at COTA and a Texas home game against Ole Miss at DKR on the same day. Central Austin and the southeast corridor both peak. Anything crossing town that Saturday needs an extra 30 to 45 minutes, and that is before anything goes wrong.
Official sources
Common questions
October 23-25, 2026
Book your F1 US Grand Prix ride
Flat rates set when you book, so event-night surge pricing is not your problem. Scheduled pickups with a driver who already knows the closures.