2025 United States Grand Prix: Fast Facts

It’s time once again to unfurl the Stars and Stripes as Formula 1 heads to Austin, Texas this weekend. For the event at the Circuit of the Americas, on the calendar since 2012, the teams will have a trio of compounds that features an extra step between the Hard and the Medium-Soft pair. It will be an interesting experiment to see if this could lead to a greater choice of strategies on one of the most complete tracks on the calendar…

The Compounds

The United States Grand Prix will be the second race of the season for which Pirelli is bringing three non-consecutive compounds, the last time being Spa-Francorchamps and the available tyres will once again be the C1 as Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft.

In Belgium, bad weather meant it was not possible to find out how this choice might have affected strategy and so the event in COTA could be the first real test of this choice, which sees the use of a harder Hard than last year at the American track, while the Medium and Soft are the same.

The increased performance difference between the hardest compound and the middle one should, theoretically, give rise to two scenarios. If drivers prefer the C1, the slowest but also the most consistent of the three, then they could run a one-stop race combining it with the C3. On the other hand, using the latter along with the C4, with its improved resistance to degradation, would produce quicker lap times but would almost certainly require two stops.

Another similarity with the Belgian round is that Austin is also running to the Sprint format, which means teams only have one hour to try the various options over long and short runs, which could add to the uncertainty as to how the weekend might pan out.

The Track

The Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas is run over 56 laps in an anticlockwise direction. The 5.513 kilometre-long track boasts 20 corners, incorporating sections reminiscent of legendary Formula 1 circuits, with corners taking inspiration from Silverstone’s Maggots-Becketts sequence, Suzuka, Hockenheim, and even Istanbul Park’s famous layout.

One of its most distinctive features is a 41 metre elevation change, most noticeable with the steep climb immediately after the start line. The variety of corners requires a versatile set-up that can provide top-end speed while still ensuring stability through the more technical sections.

Tyre loading is evenly balanced across the front and rear axles, but lateral forces are greater than longitudinal ones due to the many high-speed corners and rapid direction changes. Tyre degradation is typically thermal in nature and is also influenced by ambient temperature, which can still be quite high in Texas in October.

Last year, during the race, the mercury rose above the 30°C mark and next weekend looks set to be similar. The track was partially resurfaced last year, making it smoother and less bumpy than in the past.

The Stats

The United States Grand Prix is the second round on the calendar in the USA after Miami with Las Vegas still to come. Over the year, the event going by this name has visited six different venues: from the inaugural 1959 race in Sebring to the 45th edition held in Austin.

However, with 12 races held here, COTA is not the circuit that has hosted the most editions, as that record goes to Watkins Glen (New York), which staged 20 Grands Prix between 1961 and 1980. The famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted eight races between 2000 and 2007, while four editions took place on the Detroit street circuit (1985-1988) and three in Phoenix (1989–1991). Sebring, in 1959, Riverside, the following year, and Dallas, in 1984, each hosted just one race.

Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most wins (five in Austin and one in Indianapolis), just one more than Michael Schumacher (who won five times at Indianapolis). The two are tied for pole positions with four apiece. Hamilton also clinched two of his world titles in Texas, his third in 2015 and his sixth in 2019. As for the constructors, Ferrari holds the record for the most wins on eleven: two at Watkins Glen, five at Indianapolis, and four in Austin.

How to Watch the 2025 United States Grand Prix

Formula 1 fans around the globe can catch all the action from the 2025 United States Grand Prix through various broadcasters and streaming services.

In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with comprehensive coverage of the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself.

For fans in the United States, the United States Grand Prix will be available through ESPN and its associated channels. ESPN offers extensive coverage of F1, including live broadcasts and replays. Cord-cutters can also stream the race live through various over-the-top (OTT) services that carry ESPN channels.

Viewers in Australia can tune in to watch the Grand Prix weekend unfold live on Fox Sports, which offers complete coverage of F1 races. For online streaming, fans can subscribe to Kayo Sports, a streaming platform that includes all Fox Sports content.

Additionally, F1 TV Pro offers live streaming of every track session to viewers in many countries worldwide.

This subscription service provides access to onboard cameras, team radios, live timing, and more, for an immersive viewing experience.

Remember to check the local listings and services for the most up-to-date information regarding broadcast times and availability in your region.

United States Grand Prix Fast Facts

• COTA is one of nine tracks on the 2025 F1 calendar that is fully anticlockwise, alongside Jeddah, Miami, Imola, Baku, Singapore, Interlagos, Las Vegas, and Yas Marina.
• It is tied with Baku for the second-most corners on any F1 2025 track, with 20, behind Jeddah (27).
• The incline from the starting grid to the apex at Turn One is 134 feet, one of the highest elevation changes on the whole f1 calendar.
• No one has more wins at COTA than Lewis Hamilton (5). Lewis also clinched his third (2015) and sixth (2019) F1 titles at the track while with the team.
• The Mercedes team has five wins at COTA – more than any other Constructor. Lewis has four of those, while Valtteri Bottas also has one US GP win, coming in 2019.
• For the third year in a row, the circuit will hold an F1 Sprint race on Saturday.
• In 2025, as in 2024, COTA will host the fourth of six F1 Sprint races during the season.
• COTA has been the home of the United States Grand Prix since 2012.
• The 2025 United States Grand Prix will be the 500th for Mrecedes-Benz as the official Safety Car, having debuted at the 1996 Australian Grand Prix and first been deployed at the 1996 Belgium Grand Prix.

Also see:

How long will F1 be in Austin?

What’s special about Turn 1 at COTA?