GET TO KNOW
THE CIRCUIT
There’s a reason Austin is often regarded as America’s coolest city, with great food and a vibrant nightlife, all united under the banner of the city’s unofficial slogan: ‘Keep Austin Weird’. When racing starts, you’ll be in attendance at one of the great modern race tracks. With the Americans’ attitude to partying, you won’t want to miss out!
What’s the circuit like?
If the corners at COTA seem familiar, they should be. Turns 3 through 6 look not dissimilar to Silverstone's high-speed run through Maggots/Becketts or the S Curves at Suzuka, while Turns 12 through 15 mimic Hockenheim's stadium section. Meanwhile, the uphill run into wide, wide Turn 1 – hey, everything’s bigger in Texas, right? – never fails to provide some fine overtaking action.
When was the track built?
The Circuit of The Americas (COTA), designed by Hermann Tilke in collaboration with American architectural firm HKS, endured something of a nervy start, with construction suffering several setbacks. It was well worth the wait, though, when 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti opened the track on October 21 2012.
When was its first Grand Prix?
F1 first raced at the Circuit of The Americas in 2012, for the first United States Grand Prix since the 2007 race at Indianapolis. Unsurprisingly, over 100,000 spectators packed out the Austin venue, witnessing Lewis Hamilton’s last ever win in a McLaren before his switch to Mercedes for 2013.
SAFETY CAR
PROBABILITY:
VSC
PROBABILITY:
Trivia
In 2022, Austin set a new F1 record with a three-day attendance of around 440,000 fans
FIRST GRAND PRIX:
1959
(Sebring)
TRACK LENGTH:
5.513km
LAP RECORD:
1:36.169
Charles Leclerc (2019)
Previous winners
2024 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2023 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2022 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2021 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2019 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Previous polesitters
2024 Lando Norris (McLaren)
2023 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2022 Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2021 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2019 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
PIT STOP
TIME LOSS
20.6s
(including 2.5s stationary)
OVERTAKES COMPLETED IN 2024:
91
POLE RUN TO TURN 1 BRAKING POINT:
The Driver's Verdict
Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault F1 driver
The Circuit of The Americas is a great track that takes inspiration from parts of other legendary corners on the calendar.
The uphill Turn 1 is difficult at the race start as there are loads of different lines that can be taken, then you sweep through the first sector, which is a bit like Silverstone, where you’re trying to find your rhythm.
After that, it’s the long back straight and you’ve got to get your braking point right at the end of it…
Probably the hardest section on the circuit is Turn 13 through to Turn 15, which feels like an odd complex of corners behind the wheel. Turn 13 is conventional, but finding your line through to 15 is not easy, while that Turn 14 area puts a lot of load on the tyres.
You go through the quadruple right-hander after that, followed by Turn 19, which is a really nice corner – though track limits are an issue.
Finally, you stop for Turn 20, then it’s a short burst to the line, but drivers need to be careful not to light things up as it’s easy to break traction.
There are also plenty of overtaking opportunities during the race with DRS on the run to Turn 12 and Turn 1.
Current Form
What can be expected going into the Grand Prix weekend?
While McLaren wrapped up back-to-back Teams’ Championships at the Singapore Grand Prix, the race for the Drivers’ title is far from settled.
Oscar Piastri arrives in Austin at the top of the standings, but team mate Lando Norris is now just 22 points adrift after gaining ground over the Monza, Baku and Marina Bay weekends.
One driver making even more of a move, though, is reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who has either won or finished second at the last four races amid an upturn in Red Bull performance.
Verstappen is now a much reduced 63 points behind Piastri, with 174 still up for grabs over the remaining six Grands Prix, which include three Sprints.
Mercedes’ George Russell remains mathematically in contention after his supreme Singapore win and stellar 2025 season as a whole, along with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, but both would need an extreme turn of events to triumph from here.
However, Russell and Leclerc could both play a key role in the race for second in the Teams’ Championship, with Mercedes holding 325 points to Ferrari’s 298 and Red Bull’s 290.
Elsewhere, Williams are still winning the fight for fifth position, with Carlos Sainz’s recent podium and Alex Albon’s consistent scoring giving them a solid lead over Racing Bulls and Aston Martin.
Iconic Moment
COTA's thrilling debut
The inaugural Austin race back in 2012 was an exhilarating watch, with Lewis Hamilton chasing down Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in his McLaren.
After Vettel lost momentum behind a backmarker, Hamilton sensed his opportunity to pounce for the lead – and the Briton duly took his chance.
Watch the action as it unfolded in the video player...
