NBC Sports to provide 18 hours of USGP programming
Race coverage will begin with F1 Countdown, NBC’s 60-minute, on-site pre-race show, at noon CT hosted by NBC Sports Group’s lead F1 commentator Leigh Diffey. Diffey will be on-site at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, alongside David Hobbs (analyst), Steve Matchett (analyst), and Will Buxton (reporter).
In addition to pre-race analysis, F1 Countdown will feature a sit-down interview with Diffey and Vettel, and an introduction to the race voiced over by Rush director Ron Howard.
Vettel, who has already clinched the 2013 drivers' World Championship, enters Sunday’s f1 USGP looking to etch his name in the record books after earning his seventh consecutive win at Abu Dhabi two weekends ago. An eighth straight victory would break the record for most consecutive wins in a Formula 1 season, eclipsing Michael Schumacher’s seven consecutive wins in 2004.
Sunday’s FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX is the 43rd running of the race, which dates back 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The F1 USGP made its debut at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin last year, when Lewis Hamilton (then-McLaren, now Mercedes) overtook Vettel to take the checkered flag.
NBCSN will air live coverage of practice on Friday at noon CT. Live coverage of qualifying will air Saturday on CNBC at noon CT. In addition to NBC’s live coverage of the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, NBCSN will air an encore presentation of the race on Sunday at 5 p.m. CT.
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (CT) |
| Fri., November 15 | F1 United States Grand Prix – Practice | NBCSN | noon |
| Fri., November 15 | F1 United States Grand Prix – Practice (Encore) | NBCSN | 9 p.m. |
| Sat., November 16 | F1 36 | NBCSN | 11:30 a.m. |
| Sat., November 16 | F1 United States Grand Prix – Qualifying | CNBC | noon |
| Sat., November 16 | F1 Singapore Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) | NBCSN | 5:30 p.m. |
| Sat., November 16 | F1 Singapore Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Sun., November 17 | F1 Countdown | NBC | noon |
| Sun., November 17 | F1 United States Grand Prix | NBC | 1 p.m. |
| Sun., November 17 | F1 United States Grand Prix (Encore) | NBCSN | 5 p.m. |
COMMENTATORS: Lead F1 announcer Leigh Diffey will call the F1 USGP on-site from the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Diffey will be joined by veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett, and F1 insider and reporter Will Buxton.
Following are quotes from Tuesday’s NBC Sports Group United States Grand Prix conference call:
Leigh Diffey: “This is our Super Bowl. We’re gearing up for the biggest game of our year."
NBC Formula One producer Rich O’Connor: “Austin is not only a great race, but a great event. We want to make sure it comes across to the viewers. Every time we air F1 races, we’ve tried to make it a big event in all of our coverage."
David Hobbs on Sebastian Vettel: “We are looking at a genius behind the wheel. We are seeing history being made here."
Will Buxton on Vettel: “When you put him in a car, he is a ruthless operator…he’s likeable outside of the car, but he is unflinching in his determination to win at all costs…he is the all-around sporting superstar."
FORMULA 1 ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA: NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will provide live comprehensive streaming coverage of the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, as well as practice and qualifying in the days preceding the race . Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere," the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of home and on multiple platforms.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/live extra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
Coverage airing on:
• NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
• NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere," which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.