United States Grand Prix 2026
Everything is bigger in Texas. The Circuit of the Americas in Austin was purpose-built for Formula 1 and has become the most successful F1 venue in the United States — delivering world-class racing, a massive festival atmosphere, and 140,000 passionate fans every year.
Circuit Facts
Circuit of the Americas
Austin, Texas, USA
20
2
Sprint Weekend
Permanent Road Course
About Circuit of the Americas
The Circuit of the Americas opened in 2012 as the first purpose-built Formula 1 circuit in the United States, designed specifically to meet the demands of modern grand prix racing. Located in the Texas Hill Country east of Austin, it was created by German circuit designer Hermann Tilke with input from F1's commercial rights holders to produce a venue that combined the best elements of classic circuits from around the world. The result is one of the most technically diverse and fan-friendly tracks on the calendar, with a layout that draws inspiration from Silverstone's Maggotts-Becketts complex, the Aintree hairpin at Spa, and the flowing corners of Istanbul Park.
The track's most iconic feature is the dramatic blind crest at Turn 1. Cars approach at over 300 km/h and crest a blind hill before braking hard for a tight hairpin — an approach inspired by the famous Raidillon at Spa. From there the circuit winds through a series of high-speed esses, a long back straight, and a challenging stadium section before returning through sweeping corners to the start-finish line. The variety of corner types and the elevation changes make it one of the truest tests of an all-round Formula 1 car.
COTA has become the anchor of America's growing relationship with Formula 1. With the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix now also on the calendar, the US hosts three races in the modern era, but Austin remains the original and many argue the best. The Austin fanbase is passionate, knowledgeable, and enormous — the race regularly draws over 140,000 fans on race day, with the weekend featuring major music concerts, an unrivalled tailgate atmosphere, and everything that makes a Texas festival unmistakable.
Key Corners
COTA's designers deliberately borrowed the best elements from legendary circuits worldwide. These are the corners that define the lap and the race.
Turn 1 — The Blind Crest Hairpin
The most dramatic first corner in modern Formula 1. Cars arrive at over 300 km/h and crest a blind uphill rise before the track falls sharply away into a tight right-hand hairpin. Drivers cannot see the apex until the last possible moment. The first corner here is consistently one of the best overtaking opportunities of the entire race.
Turns 2–6 — Becketts-Style Esses
A series of high-speed direction changes inspired by Silverstone's Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex. Cars flow from left to right to left to right in quick succession at speeds above 200 km/h, requiring the car to be perfectly set up for lateral stability. A lap-time-defining sequence that showcases the limits of aerodynamic grip.
Turn 12 — Back Straight Hairpin
At the end of the long back straight, this tight hairpin is the second major overtaking point of the circuit. Drivers can follow a rival down the straight under DRS and attempt to out-brake them into the hairpin. The inside line is obvious but the braking point is tricky, making it a genuine battle zone.
Turn 16 — Long Right-Hander
A sustained, medium-speed right-hander that requires significant downforce and mechanical grip. Tyre degradation is highest in this section because of the lateral load sustained over several seconds. Getting the balance right for this corner without compromising the rest of the lap is one of the key setup challenges at COTA.
Turn 20 — Final Sweeper
The long final corner sweeps right and feeds cars onto the pit straight. Like Monza's Parabolica, a clean exit here is crucial for lap time — the cars are accelerating hard onto the straight, so any understeer or traction issue costs time all the way to Turn 1. COTA's elevation change makes this corner especially challenging to read.
Race Atmosphere
The United States Grand Prix at COTA has established itself as one of the great motorsport events anywhere in the world. More than 140,000 fans fill the circuit on race day, and the entire weekend is an experience far beyond just the racing. Country music concerts on the main stage attract headliners that draw their own crowds, Texas BBQ and cold beer flow freely in the enormous infield, and the Hill Country backdrop gives the venue a character that is entirely its own. The atmosphere in the grandstands — particularly the vast stand at Turn 1 — is electric from the moment the cars leave the pit lane on Friday morning.
The quality of the racing itself is consistently high. COTA's wide track and multiple overtaking opportunities produce races with genuine wheel-to-wheel action throughout the field, not just at the front. The 2026 event is scheduled as a Sprint weekend, meaning there are even more points-scoring sessions and on-track action crammed into the three days. For fans attending in person, COTA may well be the best value Formula 1 weekend experience on the entire calendar.
Tyre Strategy
The Circuit of the Americas generates moderate tyre degradation — higher than Monza or Baku, but lower than circuits like Barcelona or Bahrain. The combination of high-speed sectors and the demanding Turn 16 right-hander places particular stress on the right-front tyre. Pirelli typically nominates Medium and Hard compounds as the race tyres, with teams usually targeting a one-stop strategy, though a two-stop can be competitive when degradation is higher than expected or when an undercut opportunity presents itself.
As a Sprint weekend in 2026, teams must also manage their tyre allocation across the Sprint qualifying, Sprint race, and main qualifying and race sessions — making tyre conservation decisions earlier in the weekend more consequential than at standard format events. The Sprint race itself typically uses softer compounds as the stint length is short, providing good racing but limited strategic variation.
How to Watch the United States Grand Prix
Sky Sports F1
Every session live — including Sprint qualifying and Sprint race. Available on Sky and via NOW TV streaming.
Channel 4
Free-to-air highlights of qualifying and the race. Available on Channel 4 and All 4 on-demand.
F1 TV Pro / NOW TV
F1 TV Pro offers live streaming worldwide. NOW TV provides Sky Sports access without a contract.
20:00 GMT / 21:00 BST
Austin is CDT (UTC-5). The race starts at 15:00 local time, meaning a late Sunday evening viewing for UK fans.
Visit our TV schedule page for confirmed session times and broadcast details for the 2026 season.
Previous Winners at COTA
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2024 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2023 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2022 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2021 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |