The United States Grand Prix recorded the lowest viewership for a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the United Kingdom in six years, unofficial overnight viewing figures show.

Coverage of the race, screened in highlights form on BBC One from 22:25, averaged 1.71m (15.4%). Sky Sports F1’s live coverage of the race itself, from 18:00 to 21:15, averaged a further 761k (3.0%). Both figures are down, BBC’s highlights show was down 510k on 2012, whilst Sky was down at least 55k on 2012, although the 2012 comparison is based on the 17:30 to 22:15 time slot, the channel having split their race day programme into three parts since.

The combined overnight viewership is therefore in the 2.5 million viewer region, the lowest for the race since at least 2006. The figure itself unofficially is the lowest for a Formula 1 race since the 2007 Bahrain Grand Prix, which was screened live on ITV to an audience of 2.54m (34.1%). Officially, the race is expected to the lowest rated Formula 1 race since at least 2008.

The 2012 United States Grand Prix ratings report can be found here.