Race Facts – United States Grand Prix

Learn more about the chequered history of the United States Grand Prix and its new home at Circuit of The Americas.

• The 2024 United States Grand Prix runs from October 18-20
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The United States Grand Prix dates back to the early 1900s, when it was known as The Grand Prize and run on tracks in Long Island (New York) and Savannah (Georgia). America’s other big motor race, the Indianapolis 500, also traces its history back to this period. The Indy 500 was also one of the inaugural races during the first 11 years of the modern Formula 1 World Championship (1950-60). After, the Watkins Glen circuit near New York established a solid place on the F1 calendar for 20 consecutive years, from 1961-80.

The F1 circus also visited other stateside venues in the 1980s, although none of the races held were referred to as the US Grand Prix. A street circuit in Long Beach, California, hosted the United States Grand Prix West between 1975-83 (read a historic trip report here), Las Vegas joined the fray with the Caesers Palace Grand Prix in the car park of the casino of the same name (1981-1984) and a city-center street circuit hosted the Detroit Grand Prix (1982-1988). The US Grand Prix returned in 1989, this time to a street circuit in Phoenix, Arizona. After three poorly attended races, F1 disappeared from the US for almost 10 years. 

Return to Indianapolis

The United States Grand Prix returned in 2000 to a modified version of the famous Indianapolis oval, which included a series of infield corners. Although initially successful and a big draw for fans, the race was marred by controversy, including the 2005 race when only six cars took the start due to a tire dispute. After the last race in 2007, the US was once again without a Grand Prix.

Circuit of The Americas

In 2010, Tavo Hellmund, an Austin native and former racing driver, first announced plans to build a new purpose-built F1 circuit (designed by Hermann Tilke, of course) on the outskirts of Austin. Bernie Ecclestone threw his weight behind the project, awarding Hellmund and his investors a ten-year contract to stage the US Grand Prix from 2012. Despite some delays and contractual disputes, the circuit was completed at a cost of around $400m USD and welcomed 117,429 race-day fans for its inaugural F1 race in November 2012.

The 3.427-mile (5.515 km) circuit is situated on 890 acres (3.6 km²) and is located 14 miles (22km) southeast of central Austin. It has a challenging, undulating layout with a high point on the apex of the opening corner. Features of the circuit include a distinctive 77m observation tower, the landscaped ‘Grand Plaza’ area, Austin360 Amphitheater and the permanent main grandstand, which holds 9000 fans. As well as hosting the US Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Circuit of the Americas also stages annual MotoGP and FIA World Endurance Championship races.

The 2020 United States Grand Prix was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the event returned in 2021 with a sell-out crowd in attendance. Over 400,000 fans flocked to the circuit over the race weekend.

With the sport’s popularity rising in America, the United States Grand Prix was joined by a second race in the country in 2022. The inaugural Miami Grand Prix took place in May 2022 and the two events are joined by the Las Vegas Grand Prix from 2023 onwards. 

In February 2022, it was announced that Circuit of The Americas will remain as host of the United States Grand Prix until at least 2026. Attendance figures soared to a new high at the 2022 United States Grand Prix. 440,000 fans attended over the weekend, making it the best-attended American race in F1 history, as well as one of Formula 1’s best-attended events in history. 

United States Grand Prix: Did You Know?

• Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver at the United States Grand Prix, with six victories, including five out of the ten races held at Circuit of The Americas! He recently overtook Michael Schumacher in the list of most United States Grand Prix wins, who recorded five victories at Indianapolis between 2000-2006.
• In 2019, Lewis Hamilton became the first driver to clinch the Drivers’ Championship in the United States twice. He previously won the 2015 title at the Circuit of The Americas.
• Ferrari is the most successful constructor at the United States Grand Prix, with 9 wins.
• Until 2021, Mercedes were the only team to have won more than once at Circuit of The Americas. Red Bull took their second victory in Texas in 2021, having last won at the track in 2013.

• No American driver has won the United States Grand Prix when it was part of the F1 World Championship, though Mario Andretti did win the 1977 US Grand Prix West in Long Beach, California.
• Sebastian Vettel made his F1 debut at the United States Grand Prix (Indianapolis) in 2007. He recorded one victory stateside, in 2013. 
• Circuit of The Americas is one of the hilliest tracks on the current Formula 1 calendar, with a difference of 30.9 meters between the lowest and highest points.
• Kimi Raikkonen won the 2018 US Grand Prix after a 114-race win drought; the longest such drought in F1 history!
• Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified from the 2023 United States Grand Prix after their cars failed post-race scrutineering checks. Hamilton had finished in second place, while Leclerc became the first polesitter to be disqualified from a race since Ralf Schumacher at the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix.

Memorable Moments at the United States Grand Prix

2002: Separated by 0.011

Ferrari recorded their eighth 1-2 finish of the 2002 season – but Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello finished in a different order to what had been expected. Schumacher led almost all of the race until the final metres, when he slowed in an attempt to stage a photo finish with his team-mate. It failed, and Barrichello was awarded the win. It is thought that Schumacher was repaying Barrichello after the Brazilian had moved aside for him at the final corner in Austria earlier in the season. At 0.011 seconds, this is the closest margin since the introduction of timing to the nearest thousandth of a second!

2005: A Race to Forget

The 2005 United States Grand Prix was far from Formula 1’s finest hour. Several Michelin tyre failures had caused major accidents for both Ralf Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta, and the tyre manufacturer advised that without slowing in the banked section of track, they could not guarantee that the tyres would stay intact for a race distance. With the FIA unwilling to compromise by adding a chicane, the Michelin-tyred teams had no option but to withdraw from the race. As the cars peeled in to the pit-lane, only the Bridgestone runners – the Ferraris, Jordans and Minardis – lined up on the grid. The race passed, unsurprisingly, without incident– although the Ferrari pair did nearly collide at the pit exit. Michael Schumacher was booed by the remaining fans as he crossed the finish line, while Tiago Monteiro claimed his only podium finish.

2015: A Wet Weekend

A very wet weekend in 2015 saw limited running at the Circuit of the Americas. Free Practice 3 had already been run with no spectators in the grandstands as a safety precaution. The qualifying session was delayed numerous times before being rescheduled for Sunday morning. The drivers made sure that the fans didn’t go without some entertainment though, and Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat even participated in a ballroom dancing routine. Even Sunday morning was still wet, and the qualifying hour was shortened following heavy rainfall.

READ MORE: 2015 United States Grand Prix – Driving Against the Hurricane

2018: Kimi’s Final Ferrari Win

Kimi Raikkonen took his final Ferrari win at the 2018 United States Grand Prix. Max Verstappen had been forced to start near the back of the grid after a car failure in Q1, while Lewis Hamilton started from pole. Raikkonen, who started on the front row, overtook Hamilton at the first turn. As Verstappen made his way up from 18th on the grid to 6th in the first seven laps, his team-mate came to a halt with engine issues, causing a Virtual Safety Car period. Hamilton pitted while Raikkonen stayed out. It wasn’t long before the Mercedes driver was right behind the Finn once again and, as Hamilton attempted an overtake, Raikkonen came into the pits for his one and only stop of the afternoon. Verstappen followed a similar strategy, while Hamilton pitted again. This led to the top three being separated by 1.5 seconds with three laps to run. No one stopped Raikkonen ending a record-breaking 114-race win drought and scoring a popular victory. Watch the highlights.

United States Grand Prix Facts

Circuit Name	Circuit of The Americas
Race first held	2012
Track Length	5.513km (20 turns)
Race Distance	56 laps (308.405km)
Lap Record	1:36.169, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 2019)
2023 Result	1st Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:35:21.362
	2nd Lando Norris (McLaren) +10.730s
	3rd Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +15.134s