Circuit of the Americas

How it began

The United States Grand Prix has been part of the World Championship since 1959 and has changed address more than once: Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, its home from 1961 to 1980, the streets of Phoenix from 1989 to 1991, and from 2000 to 2007 the road course inside the Indianapolis oval. The championship also came to the US under other race names — to Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit and Dallas. After 2007 there was no racing in the country for several years.

The circuit in Austin was built specifically for Formula 1 — the first venue in the US built for that purpose. It was designed by Hermann Tilke with input from former motorcycle racer Kevin Schwantz. The track opened in 2012, and on 18 November 2012 it hosted its first United States Grand Prix, won by Lewis Hamilton for McLaren.

The track

The 5.513 km lap has twenty corners and runs anticlockwise. Its signature is the first corner: after the start the road climbs steeply, by about forty metres, and at the top of the hill the cars turn into a blind left-hand hairpin.

Several sequences are modelled on famous sections of other circuits: the fast esses after the first corner recall Maggotts and Becketts at Silverstone, and the twisty section near the end of the lap recalls the stadium section at Hockenheim. MotoGP has raced here too since 2013.

Memorable races

On 25 October 2015 Hamilton won in the rain and wrapped up his third world title with races to spare. Two years later, on 22 October 2017, his victory secured Mercedes a fourth consecutive Constructors’ Championship.

On 21 October 2018 Kimi Räikkönen won for Ferrari, his first victory since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. On 3 November 2019 Valtteri Bottas won, and Hamilton finished second to become a six-time champion.

In 2023 Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified after the finish: the planks under their cars had worn beyond the permitted limit. On 20 October 2024 Leclerc won, and Ferrari took the top two places.

The 2026 season

The 2026 United States Grand Prix is scheduled for 25 October. The sprint, held here since 2023, is not part of this weekend’s programme. The season runs under the new rules: new power units with about half of their power coming from electricity, active aerodynamics and eleven teams — Cadillac joins the championship, and Sauber is taken over by Audi.