Formula 1 returns after a long weekend with the United States Grand Prix. Following the thrills of the Singapore Grand Prix, the action brought us all together in Austin, Texas. The resonance of racing is not new in the United States. The journey began in the mid-1900s when the race was known as the United States Grand Prize. In 1950, the FIA decided to flag the Formula 1 World Championship race at the US GP, naming it the Indianapolis 500. When it became popular, F1 rectified this by setting up a new track at Riverside for another F1 race.
The charm that was shown at the Indianapolis 500 was missing from Riverside and later from the Sebring to Watkins Glen. Since its debut in 1950 in the F1, the race has been held at 10 different locations until 2012, when Circuit of the Americas came into existence. The COTA brought charm and excitement to the heart of America. Let us delve into its history, stats, and records made through the years.
History Of The Circuit Of The Americas: United States Grand Prix
The Circuit of the Americas is also known as the COTA and is home to the Formula 1 Grand Prix, NASCAR Championship, and American Le Mans Series. The history of the COTA is as famous as its construction in the mid-2010s. After hosting F1 races for centuries in the US at 10 different locations and under different names, FIA proposed to build a special F1 track in Texas. The foundation of the track was encapsulated by Tavo Hellmund and 1993 FIM motorcycle World Champion winner Kevin Schwantz.
The famous F1 track designer, Hermann Tilke, corporated the design of the infamous American F1 Track reprofiling with the standards of Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi and Silverstone in Britain. Soon the track hosted its first-ever Formula 1 race in 2012, and since then the race has acted as a fixture in the calendar till date. As the motorsport continued to reach its expansion, amazing the audience, the COTA stood as a stepping stone in shaping the American motorsport destiny.
The Circuit of the Americas is one of the sixth tracks in the United States that hosted Formula 1. Through 11 years of hosting the nation’s biggest racing league, COTA has transformed modern motorsport within different sports leagues from all around the world. Not only F1 drivers but even top riders from MotoGP also praised this track because of its unprecedented corners and overtaking opportunities.
Stats Of The Circuit Of The Americas: United States Grand Prix
The Circuit of the Americas is one of the few Formula One circuits that runs clockwise, making it physically demanding for the drivers. The design of the tack allows multiple racing lines, promoting some overtake opportunities and wheel-to-wheel combat racing. The clockwise design resulted in a variety of uphill turns inspired by other corners on different tracks around the world. The Circuit of the Americas showcases different submissions of corners from different tracks, making it unique and a bit extreme when driving through the fast straights.
Turn 1 of the track is one of the significant corners that is a sharp-left-hand hairpin, making it a sophisticated point to deliver a wheel-to-wheel fight. Following is Turn 3 to Turn 6, which consists of fast sweepers that are inspired by the Maggots-Becketts Chapel from the Silverstone circuit. The total length of the track is about 5.513 km, making it one of the longest F1 tracks in the United States. Such distance also makes it one of the hilliest F1 racing tracks, with a latitude difference of 30.9 meters from the lowest to highest ground points.
With such groundbreaking figures, turn 13 of the track is one of the hardest corners as you exit through the right-hander, followed by Turn 19-Turn 20. Let us delve into the amazing statics of the Circuit of the Americas and explore the thrills of speed in the heart of the Americas.
Circuit Name | Circuit Of The Americas |
Circuit Certification | FIA Grade 1 License |
Circuit Length | 5.513 KM |
Race Distance | 308.405 KM |
No. Of Laps | 56 |
Turns | 20 |
First Grand Prix | 2012 |
Last Grand Prix | 2023 |
DRS Zones | 2 |
Records Made At The Circuit Of The Americas: United States Grand Prix
The Circuit Of The Americas is one of the most decorated tracks with state-of-the-art facilities and challenging outcomes. The track is a combination of various tracks featuring some of the best corners of the world. Many records are made at the United States Grand Prix. Let us take a look at a few honorable mentions through the years.
Most Grand Prix Wins: Lewis Hamilton tops the chart with a total of 6 wins (2012, 2014, 2015-17, 2019)
Most Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton with 5 Pole Positions (2016-19, 2021)
Fastest Lap Record: Charles Leclerc (1:32.029, 2019)
Most Podium Finishes: Lewis Hamilton won 8 times in podium finishes.
Teams With Most Grand Prix Wins: Mercedes Petronas F1 (7)
Circuit Of The Americas Will Reign in F1 until at least 2026
Yes, you heard it right! The Circuit of the Americas, or your favorite COTA, has extended its racing contract to host Formula 1 until 2026. The original contract, consisting of a 10-year deal, expired in the late 2021 F1 race championship season. However, the new contract was proposed so that F1 should take place until 2026.
What are your favorite moments from the United States Grand Prix? Do let us know in the comments below. Follow us more for such updates on Formula 1 and motorsport.
