Austin
Circuit of the Americas
- 2025 – Max Verstappen
- 2024 – Charles Leclerc
- 2023 – Max Verstappen
- 2022 – Max Verstappen
- 2021 – Max Verstappen
- 2019 – Valtteri Bottas
- 2018 – Kimi Räikkönen
- 2017 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2016 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2015 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2025 – Max Verstappen
- 2024 – Lando Norris
- 2023 – Charles Leclerc
- 2022 – Carlos Sainz
- 2021 – Max Verstappen
- 2019 – Valtteri Bottas
- 2018 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2017 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2016 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2015 – Nico Rosberg
When was the track built?
Circuit of the Americas was purpose-built on farmland south-east of Austin, Texas, with construction running through 2011 and 2012 after a stop-start funding saga that nearly killed the project. The design deliberately borrowed the flavour of celebrated corners from European tracks and set them on a site with substantial natural elevation, most obviously the steep climb to the first corner. It remains one of the more ambitious purpose-built venues of the modern era, though its notoriously bumpy surface has needed repeated attention.
When was its first Grand Prix?
The United States Grand Prix arrived at the circuit in November 2012, ending a two-year absence from the calendar and giving the sport a settled American home after a long run of short-lived venues. It has held the race every year since apart from 2020. The Austin round is widely credited with rebuilding Formula 1’s audience in the United States, laying groundwork that the later Miami and Las Vegas events were able to build on.
What’s the circuit like?
One of the more complete tests on the calendar. The lap opens with a blind uphill left into Turn 1, drops into a fast esses sequence that rewards commitment and a well-balanced car, and then settles into a slower, more technical final third. Downforce levels are medium to high, and the long back straight into a tight left provides a genuine passing zone. Tyre loading through the high-speed changes of direction is severe, and degradation is often a live strategic question. The surface is famously uneven, and how a car copes with the bumps frequently matters as much as its raw aerodynamic performance.
Why go?
Austin does the weekend properly. The city is a music town that treats the race as an excuse for a festival, the food is excellent, and the crowd is a genuine mix of American newcomers and travelling diehards. Late October in Texas is usually warm and pleasant, though it can turn wet and cold without much notice. The venue has good sightlines from the natural slopes and an observation tower, and the concert schedule is a substantial part of the ticket rather than an afterthought.
Where is the best place to watch?
The Turn 1 grandstands are the obvious pick, giving you the uphill braking zone and the best lap-one view in North America. Turn 12, at the end of the back straight, is the main overtaking spot and worth a seat. The Turn 9 area covers the fast esses and is the place to appreciate a car at high speed. The main grandstand offers pit lane access to the eye and the finish. General admission on the hills between Turns 2 and 6 is superb value with real elevation.