Circuit info
Circuit of the Americas
Interesting facts
Turn 1 at the Circuit of the Americas follows a steep, blind uphill run, climbing more than 40 metres from the start/finish line, a steeper rise than Spa's Raidillon. The Turns 3-6 'esses' sequence deliberately echoes Silverstone's Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex, while other sections nod to Hockenheim's arena bends and Istanbul's Turn 8; the layout was conceived by designer Hermann Tilke together with promoter Tavo Hellmund and former motorcycle world champion Kevin Schwantz. The circuit was built remarkably fast: ground was broken on 31 December 2010 and it opened on 21 October 2012, with the final asphalt laid only weeks before the first race using GPS-guided paving equipment to hit exact FIA specifications. In 2011, financial and ownership disputes nearly cost the track its place on the calendar; Bernie Ecclestone issued a deadline, and new investors, Red McCombs and Bobby Epstein, ultimately saved the project. The 2012 debut race drew 117,429 spectators, marking Formula 1's return to the United States after a four-year gap; by 2022 the weekend's total attendance had climbed to roughly 440,000, breaking the prior record. The circuit's landmark is a 251-foot (roughly 76-metre) observation tower with 419 steps and a 360-degree panorama deck, open to the public. You'll find it in Austin, United States. On the calendar since 2012, this circuit has hosted 13 races, the latest in 2025. Lewis Hamilton took the inaugural win here in 2012. Max Verstappen won here most recently, in 2025. The most successful driver at this circuit is Lewis Hamilton, with 5 wins. Red Bull is the dominant constructor at this circuit, with 5 wins. Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap here, 1:36.169 (Ferrari, 2019).