Austin Grand Prix Track: Get to Know the Circuit of the Americas

Find out about the Circuit of the Americas track, the past winners of the Austin Grand Prix, what this year could have in store and how you can be there watching in style.

With two Grands Prix in the USA this season and Las Vegas set to make it three from next season, it’s easier to call each one by their location Grand Prix.

Today, we are taking a look at the Austin Grand Prix. It is the oldest among the three tracks, although it is still one of the newer tracks on the F1 calendar.

Find out what you need to know about the Circuit of the Americas track, who has won the Austin Grand Prix in the past, the details about this year’s edition of the race and how you can be in attendance and watch the race in luxury with a premium hospitality package.

About the Circuit of the Americas

The Circuit of the Americas, or COTA for short, has played host to the Austin Grand Prix since 2012. It is the sixth different track used for the United States Grand Prix, after Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Phoenix, and Indianapolis.

However, unlike any of those tracks, COTA is the first Formula 1 purpose-built circuit in the USA. The new Miami International Autodrome circuit that first featured this year for the Miami GP makes it two now for the US.

It was opened in October 2012, one month before the F1 grid was to rock up and go racing around the circuit.

The circuit layout is very interesting, to say the least. When the drivers first took to the track in 2012, they gave it some rave reviews - Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were notable in their praise of the track.

The COTA track features a technical layout that comprises a number of sections inspired by other F1 circuits - most notably, the fast yet tricky first section resembles the iconic Maggots-Becketts-Chapel complex from Silverstone.

The end of the start/finish straight is also reminiscent of Raidillon from Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps (or Eau Rouge if you’re an uncultured swine of an F1 fan), as it is a steep uphill climb.

However, unlike Raidillon, at the top of the hill is the hairpin first corner which then sends the drivers back downhill and into the wily rest of the first sector.

The final thing to note about the track is that it is run anti-clockwise, which makes it a lot more physically demanding for the drivers, who train and are more used to normal clockwise tracks.

Why does this affect them? A clockwise track is mostly made up of right-hand corners, so drivers train their bodies, especially their necks, to withstand the lateral g-forces of clockwise tracks.

So when COTA or other anti-clockwise tracks like Yas Marina (Abu Dhabi) or Marina Bay (Singapore) come along, it’s a lot more taxing on the drivers throughout the weekend.

Austin Grand Prix winners

The Austin Grand Prix has only been run nine times, so it probably isn’t too much of a surprise that it has been won by only five different drivers.

What might be more surprising is the dominance of one driver here over the others, as Lewis Hamilton has seen tremendous success at COTA.

The seven-time World Champion has won the United States Grand Prix more times than he hasn’t in his entire career, coming across the line first in five of the nine races.

His victory in 2015 will be quite memorable for himself, as is his second place in 2019, as the results from those two races meant he won that year’s Drivers’ Championship.

The full list of race winners is:

• Lewis Hamilton - 5 (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
• Sebastian Vettel - 1 (2013)
• Kimi Raikonnen - 1 (2018)
• Valterri Bottas - 1 (2019)
• Max Verstappen - 1 (2021)

Raikonnen’s win in 2018 was also notable as it was his final victory in Formula 1, and it snapped his record-setting 113-race winless streak.

Max Verstappen could join Hamilton as one of the only drivers to have won multiple Austin Grands Prix. He could also end up securing his second Drivers’ Championship at this year's race, providing the result falls his way.

When is the Austin Grand Prix?

The race weekend will start on Friday 21st October and end on Sunday 23rd October. The start time of the race will be 8 pm BST, making it one of the latest start times for a Grand Prix this year if you’re watching in the UK.

How to get Austin Grand Prix hospitality

It may be very last minute, but you can still get tickets to the Austin Grand Prix. And if you are interested in going, why not take your experience up a gear and opt for a premium hospitality package?

With a hospitality package, you will get some fantastic benefits, such as; prime viewing from above the pit lane and team garages, an open bar, gourmet luncheon & and buffet, pit lane walkabouts, access to the hospitality lounge, and more!

This package is available either for one, two, or all three days of the race weekend.

To purchase this package, or if you simply want to find out more, enquire now, and we will contact you with further details.

Check out what else we have to offer, which includes Formula 1 Hospitality Packages for the races in 2023.