By alley - Oct 19, 2016, 2:40 PM ET

F1: NBC bulks up coverage for USGP

NBC and NBCSN will combine to present comprehensive live coverage of all practice, qualifying and race coverage of the United States Grand Prix this weekend, beginning on Friday at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

NBC Sports Group's lead F1 commentary team of play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey, veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett, and F1 insider Will Buxton will call the race on-site from Circuit of The Americas.

Live coverage begins on NBCSN Friday at 11 a.m. ET with Practice 1, followed by Practice 2 at 3 p.m. ET. NBCSN will present live coverage of Practice 3 and Qualifying on Saturday, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. Pre-race coverage on Sunday begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC with F1 Countdown, and F1 Extra will recap the U.S. Grand Prix with post-race coverage at 5 p.m. ET. NBCSN will also air an encore presentation of the race on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, and Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

• Racing on TV this weekend

• FIA USGP preview graphics

The weekend also marks the first race on U.S. soil for the American Haas F1 team, which made its debut this season. Haas F1 has secured 28 points this season, led by driver Romain Grosjean, who has secured four top-10 finishes.

"For so many years, we've waited for an American team – and now the wait is over. The fact that the team has scored 28 points, and got both drivers into the top 10 in qualifying at the last race – they can be so proud," said Diffey.

Nico Rosberg holds a 33-point lead over Lewis Hamilton with just four races remaining in the season, following his ninth win of 2016 in Japan on Oct. 9. Hamilton will look to regain momentum this weekend at COTA, where he has won three of the four races since 2012, and where he clinched the drivers' championship last season.

"For the longest part of this season, I didn't think so...but it's so difficult to imagine that Nico isn't going to do it at this point," Diffey added. "This weekend could be a do-or-die weekend for Hamilton. He cannot get another bad start and cannot afford another poor finish...this weekend is going to be a defining moment in this championship."