Danica Patrick joins Sky Sports Coverage as an analyst
After racing around the world in a season that started in March, Formula 1 is in the United States this weekend for the second and final time this year. ABC will broadcast the Aramco United States Formula 1 Grand Prix live on Sunday, October 23, with coverage from the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. The race starts at 3 p.m.
ESPN will surround the telecast of the race with programming and content across all platforms, including the on-site presence of sports center as well as social media and digital content that will include a live race day show and a golf ball driving contest between F1 drivers and PGA TOUR and LPGA players.
In addition to the race, qualifying and all three practice sessions will air on ESPN networks Friday and Saturday with all sessions and the race streaming on the ESPN app. The race and qualifying TV shows will be shown commercial-free with the sponsorship of Mothers Polish.
With the race taking place in his home country, the former IndyCar and NASCAR star Danica Patrick will once again join Sky Sports F1’s award-winning commentary team as an analyst. ESPN and F1 have been providing Sky coverage to US viewers since F1 returned to ESPN networks in 2018.
ESPN’s multi-platform coverage of the United States Grand Prix will include:
- sports center — Anchor Nicole Briscoe, also a host of ESPN’s F1 encore shows, will report from Austin on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for sports centerwith interviews and other content appearing in various editions of ESPN’s signature news and information program throughout the day.
- ESPN.com/F1 —ESPN Laurence Edmondson and Nate Saunders provide comprehensive coverage of every F1 race across all global digital platforms, including exclusive interviews with drivers and team principals, as well as breaking news and in-depth analysis. ESPN’s F1 coverage includes a dedicated site that reports on the championship throughout the year. In addition to ESPN’s F1 coverage across all major social platforms, for the first time this year ESPN’s popular Pick’Em format includes F1 play, giving users the ability to make their predictions on the grid for each race. The Video Podcast Program Not overlapped appears on the ESPN YouTube channel.
- Countdown to Austin – ESPN will produce a preview show that will air live on ESPN social media and digital channels from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on race day. Countdown to Austin will be hosted by sports center presenter Gary Striewski, with analyst Spencer Room. ESPN.com/F1 journalists will also join the show Laurence Edmondson and Nate Saunders. Hailing from the ESPN set on the racing circuit, the show will air on ESPN’s YouTube, Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as the ESPN app.
- ESPN Drivers Challenge – In a unique sports crossover, F1 drivers will be paired with Texas-based professional golfers from the PGA TOUR and LPGA in a golf simulator located in the Circuit of the Americas paddock. Highlights of “ESPN’s Drivers’ Challenge” will appear on ESPN social media as well as golf and racing social media. PGA TOUR players Will Zalatoris and Dylan Frittelli will participate along with LPGA’s Lily Muni He. The F1 drivers to compete and the golf pros are Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Lando Norris, Danny Ricciardo, Valteri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou, Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda. Michael Collins, Senior Golf Analyst for ESPN and host of the ESPN+ program america shopping cart, will host the challenge. Special guests will include Shaquille O’Neal.
- ESPN Deportes and ESPN Latin America – ESPN will provide coverage in Spanish on news platforms in the United States and Latin America. The race, practice sessions and qualifying will be broadcast in Spanish in the United States on ESPN Deportes or ESPN3. On-site commentary teams in Austin:
- Marty and McGee – The SEC Network program Marty and McGee (9-10 a.m.) will have coverage of the United States Grand Prix on Saturday, October 22. Marty Smith and Ryan McGee will speak with guests at their set in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Race day coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m. with the Grand Prix Sunday pre-race show, with the start of the race at 3 p.m. The race will also air in Spanish on ESPN Deportes with coverage beginning at 2 p.m.
F1 races this season are averaging 1.2 million viewers on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, on course to break the US season record of 949,000 viewers set last year. Last year, the television broadcast of the United States Grand Prix race on ABC attracted an average audience of 1.4 million viewers.
Aramco United States Formula 1 Grand Prix TV program
(all Eastern times)
| Fri 21 Oct | The F1 Lounge | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Practice 1 | 2:55 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Practice 2 | 5:55 p.m. | ESPNEWS/ESPN3 | |
| Sat 22 Oct | Practice 3 | 2:55 p.m. | ESPNEWS/ESPN3 |
| Qualification | 5:55 p.m. | ESPNEWS/ESPN3 | |
| Ted’s Qualification Log | 7:45 p.m. | ESPN3 | |
| Sun Oct 23 | Grand Prix Sunday (before race) | 1:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Countdown to Austin | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and ESPN App | |
| Race | 15:00 | ABC | |
| checkered flag (after race) | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN3 | |
| Ted’s running diary | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN3 | |
| Race (again) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPNEWS |
ESPN Deportes schedule (in Spanish)
| Fri 21 Oct | Practice 1 | 2:55 p.m. | ESPN Sports |
| Practice 2 | 5:50 p.m. | ESPN Sports | |
| Sat 22 Oct | Practice 3 | 2:55 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Qualification | 5:55 p.m. | ESPN Sports | |
| Sun Oct 23 | Pre-race and race | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN Sports |
All programs will also be streamed on the ESPN app.
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Media contact: [email protected]
(Photo courtesy of Circuit of the Americas)