Circuit of the Americas

Lore & Background

The circuit and Grand Prix were first proposed in the middle of 2010. The circuit was the first in the United States to be purpose-built for Formula One. The layout was conceived by promoter Tavo Hellmund and 1993 Motorcycle World Champion Kevin Schwantz with the assistance of German architect and circuit designer Hermann Tilke. Construction began on December 31, 2010, and was due to be complete by June 2012. Following a stop-work order in December 2011, the completion date was revised to August. The track was officially opened on October 21, with Mario Andretti running the ceremonial first laps in a Lotus 79.

In Their Own Story

The sun hangs low and fat over the west-facing grandstands, turning the asphalt to the color of burnt copper. A lone IndyCar rumbles down the main straight, the V6 hybrid screaming at the redline, and the whole hillside shudders with the vibration. In the pit lane, a crew chief wipes grease from his forehead and watches the car slot into the last corner, the rear tires smoking in the still Texas air. Somewhere past Turn 14, a kid in the front row of the grandstand is on her feet, phone raised, yelling something her grandmother will never understand. The car crests the final rise, catches the last of the light, and disappears behind the hill—leaving nothing but the fading whine of the engine and the smell of hot rubber hanging over the whole valley like a benediction.

Reader's Guide

The circuit is 3.426 mi (5.514 km) long. The layout was conceived by Tavo Hellmund and Kevin Schwantz with the assistance of Hermann Tilke. HKS, Inc. and Tilke Engineers & Architects designed the track. The Grand Plaza, Observation Structure, Tower Amphitheater, and Main Grandstand were designed by Austin-based architectural firm Miró Rivera Architects.

Did You Know?

• The circuit's name was announced as 'Circuit of the Americas' on April 12, 2011.
• The first layer of asphalt was completed on August 3, 2012, and the final layer was finished on September 21, 2012.
• A crowd of 117,429 spectators watched the United States Grand Prix in November 2012.
• In October 2022, the three-day Formula One United States Grand Prix event drew roughly 440,000 people.