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110-629: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas , was built to Formula One (F1) specifications to host the United States Grand Prix starting in 2012 . Situated in the rolling hills southeast of the city, it is a 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.515 km) road course . In 2018, Phoenix was removed from the 2019 IndyCar Series schedule, which opened up a gap in the calendar. At the same time, COTA chairman and CEO Bobby Epstein emphasized

220-589: A Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ during qualifying at the 2019 United States Grand Prix . As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Circuit of the Americas are listed as: The circuit hosts minor completions such as: The track has hosted various events like the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship , INDYCAR and the X Games . COTA would have hosted the inaugural Intercontinental GT Challenge and

330-483: A landmark for the venue. The structure of the tower consists of an elevator hoist-way surrounded by a double helix staircase of 419 stairs, both of which lead to an observation platform 230 feet (70 m) above ground level. The platform provides a 360-degree panorama of the circuit, as well as views to downtown Austin, Texas. The observation platform, which is accessible to the public for an admission fee, can accommodate up to 70 visitors and features glass railings and

440-484: A 0.62-mile (1.00 km) straight back towards the pit and paddock area. This straight leads to the final sector of the lap with a heavy braking zone and a sequence of corners inspired by the arena bends of Hockenheim , to Turns 9 and 10 of Bahrain , a corner that significantly tightens in the second part, requiring drivers to brake and turn at the same time. This is followed by a downhill, multi-apex corner with limited run-off modeled after turn 8 at Istanbul Park , before

550-455: A booking agreement with Live Nation to book major concerts at an open air amphitheater to be built at the base of the observation tower. Designed by Miró Rivera Architects, the venue opened in April 2013 with a concert by Kenny Chesney . The amphitheater accommodates up to 14,000 people with 5,240 permanent reserved seats. Another 1,700 seats can be configured on the stage-front floor or there

660-414: A centre of commerce and cultural exchange in this hemisphere. I look forward to meeting many fans and visitors who will be coming from every country.” In December 2020 Red McCombs got a corner named after him called 'Big Red'. In order for the race to take place, the Austin city council was asked to be the sponsoring municipality for the event. Through being a sponsor, the city could apply for money from

770-604: A fifth and a ninth, in his final eight races, before dropping out of the season finale stating he had food poisoning. He was replaced for the race by Carlos Muñoz. Muñoz provided a thrill for the team in the Indy 500, taking second place in his first-ever start in the IndyCar series. Andretti, Hunter-Reay, and Hinchcliffe were once again signed as primary drivers and the team once again began running with full-works Honda power, although GoDaddy dropped their IndyCar sponsorship program and

880-414: A final pre-race inspection of the circuit for September 25, sixty days before the first race, which the circuit later passed. To ensure the demanding FIA specifications for the track were met, GPS-based 3D paving equipment was used on the asphalt paving and milling machines. The first layer of asphalt was completed on August 3, 2012. Construction began laying the final layer of asphalt on August 14, and

990-505: A limited schedule in the Sprint Cup Series . At the completion of the 2011 season , Dan Wheldon was due to sign a contract to return to the team in 2012 in the car vacated by Patrick. He was killed in an accident during the season-ending 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship , leaving the future of the #7 GoDaddy team uncertain. In January it was announced that 2011 IndyCar rookie of the year James Hinchcliffe would drive

1100-491: A long time". The inaugural IndyCar Classic was held at COTA on March 24, 2019. It was a 60-lap event that was won by rookie Colton Herta of Harding Steinbrenner Racing , who became the youngest race winner in IndyCar Series history at 18 years, 11 months, and 25 days of age. Muse played a headlining concert the night before the race, on Saturday, March 23. Additional concerts (including one by local act Asleep at

1210-518: A multi-year agreement to add the Circuit of the Americas to its calendar replacing Phoenix Raceway (then known as ISM Raceway), finalizing the IndyCar Series calendar. After hosting an IndyCar Spring Training test session, on February 12–13, COTA made its debut on the IndyCar Series schedule on Sunday, March 24, serving as the second race of the 2019 campaign, with the AutoNation IndyCar Challenge ( IndyCar Classic ), following

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1320-403: A multi-year agreement when it was released on September 4, 2018. COTA was joined on the 2019 schedule by a revived Grand Prix of Monterey on September 22, the season finale and the first IndyCar race at Laguna Seca in 15 years. COTA's IndyCar Classic was the second race of the 2019 season, following the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg two weeks earlier on March 10. The placement of

1430-427: A partial glass floor. In addition, a "veil" consisting of 18 bright red steel tubes runs nearly the full height of the tower, acting as a canopy for both the observation platform and the stage below. The design of the observation tower was inspired by the visual imagery of sports cars and movement, and the red color was selected to mimic the streaks of lights trailing racecars at night. On July 23, 2012, COTA announced

1540-410: A replacement for its former Phoenix race . While Gossage had previously expressed concern that Texas could not adequately support two IndyCar races, Epstein opined that TMS and COTA are far enough apart that their races will not adversely affect each other. The IndyCar Classic was one of two additions to the 2019 IndyCar Series schedule, which officially revealed that COTA had obtained a race as part of

1650-609: A replica of Istanbul 's Turn Eight. Other corners were loosely inspired by the Senna 'S' at Interlagos , Turn 4 at the Buddh International Circuit and Turns 9-10 at Bahrain , the latter two tracks also designed by Tilke. A feature of the circuit is a deliberate widening of corners, to encourage drivers to follow multiple racing lines. A similar feature was used at the Buddh International Circuit in India, where

1760-656: A role in the company as a strategic advisor while a search for his successor is initiated. After major problems in CART surfaced, Andretti, who had purchased a majority interest in the team, switched the newly renamed Andretti Green Racing in 2003 to the rival Indy Racing League (now the NTT IndyCar Series). Paul Tracy left the team to stay in the Champ Car World Series , with Tony Kanaan joining Franchitti and Andretti. Andretti retired after

1870-507: A rookie later in the season at Road America . In 1995, Green and Forsythe parted ways, and Barry Green renamed the outfit Team Green , with his brother Kim Green joining as team manager. The team won the 1995 Indianapolis 500 and 1995 CART championship with driver Jacques Villeneuve . In 1996 , the team became known as the Brahma Sports Team for a season, with driver Raul Boesel . In 1997 , Parker Johnstone took over

1980-415: A series of fast sweepers modeled on Silverstone's Maggotts–Becketts–Chapel complex, which is turns 3-6 at COTA. These sweepers tighten through turns 7-9, while continuing the esses, but slowing the cars down substantially, requiring drivers to downshift to 4th gear and through a blind corner at Turn 10. This corner takes them to the far end of the circuit and a hairpin at Turn 11 where the drivers then follow

2090-514: A state district court judge declined to enter a temporary restraining order against Combs preventing payments from the METF; nonetheless, Texas Comptroller Combs reconsidered and chose not to make the July 31 advance payment to FOMC/Bernard Ecclestone as previously agreed for the first year's sanctioning fee. The attorney for the project's opponents has stated that he is unsure if they will continue pursuing

2200-636: A state fund, the Major Events Trust Fund (METF), designed to attract major sporting events to Texas that would be used to pay the Formula One race sanctioning fee. This matter was complicated by opponents of the project who filed a lawsuit against state comptroller Susan Combs , claiming that she had promised the funding to the circuit without having been legally authorized to do so, though promoters have responded stating that all necessary guidelines had been followed. In June 2011,

2310-576: A subsidiary of Austin Industries, was the general contractor. 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 first tasks were building the silt fences , taking core samples , and shredding existing vegetation. On January 21, 2011, a $ 900,000 check was posted with Travis County that permitted grading to begin. The money

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2420-516: A tepid start to 2015, with only 3 top-10 finishes and a best finish of 5th through the first 11 races. However, the 28 team was able to rebound to 6th in the standings after two wins in the final four races. Muñoz claimed his first and only win in IndyCar at Race 1 of the Detroit double-header . However, his worst finish to date at Indianapolis saw him finish 13th in the final standings. In April 2020, Extreme E announced that Andretti Autosport became

2530-485: A total capacity of approximately 9,000 spectators. The seating is divided into three levels: lower level (capacity ~5400, including Loge Boxes), club level (capacity ~2900), and suite level (capacity ~750). The majority of seating is covered by a tensile fabric canopy. The primary structure is 500 feet (150 m) long, while the lower risers extend an additional 500 feet (150 m). The grandstand also contains concessions, restrooms, offices, and two lounge spaces located at

2640-482: Is flexibility allowing the site to grow and change. The facility features a karting track that has 15 turns and is 0.63 miles long. It has wide turns, a set of S-turns and a new hairpin turn that comes off a sweeper turn. The Karting Track is located in front of the Main Grandstand. The karts can go up to speeds up to 55 MPH. In August 2017, a new soccer-specific stadium was announced to be built between

2750-545: Is standing room for 2,300. The remaining general admission spots are on a sloping grass area behind the reserved seats. The venue was originally going to be called Tower Amphitheater, but under a deal closed in March 2013, was renamed to Austin360 Amphitheater, with naming rights sold to the entertainment/events website associated with the Austin American-Statesman . Beginning January 1, 2020, COTA renamed

2860-448: The 2003 Indianapolis 500 , and Dan Wheldon took his place. AGR ran four cars since the beginning of 2004, with Bryan Herta behind the wheel of the additional car. At the 2005 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg , AGR had all 4 drivers finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th; Wheldon led home Kanaan, Franchitti, and Herta to round out the top 4. Kanaan and Wheldon won consecutive IndyCar Series Championships in 2004 and 2005 , with Wheldon winning

2970-402: The 2005 Indianapolis 500 . Andretti referred to the win as his very own, as good as if he had won it as a driver, because of the nuances of car ownership and building his team. Wheldon's championship was his only one before free agency, and joining Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2006 . He was replaced by Michael's son, Marco Andretti . Michael Andretti came out of retirement to qualify for

3080-407: The 2006 Indianapolis 500 to race with his son. The Andrettis finished second and third in "the 500" with Marco being passed just before the finish by Sam Hornish Jr. in the second-closest finish in race history. From 2001 to 2010, the team had seen at least one of their drivers finish within the top three at the race. It was announced on July 25, 2006, that Danica Patrick would join the team for

3190-582: The 2007 12 Hours of Sebring . The AGR team finished second overall, and took the maiden LMP2 win for Acura with drivers Dario Franchitti , Marino Franchitti , Bryan Herta , and Tony Kanaan . However, during the remainder of the season, the Porsche RS Spyders of Penske Racing regularly outpaced the Acuras. The team finished the season 5th in the LMP2 Teams' Championship. For the 2008 season,

3300-472: The 2007 IndyCar Series season to replace Herta, who was being transferred to AGR's new American Le Mans Series Acura LMP2 effort. In October 2007, after winning the 2007 Indianapolis 500 and 2007 Indy Racing League championship , Franchitti announced his departure from the team to pursue a full-time career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup with Chip Ganassi Racing . Later that month, Hideki Mutoh

3410-539: The 2021 United States Grand Prix for an event held in North America. Sunday's race final drew over 150,000 spectators to Circuit of the Americas breaking the inaugural Formula One race at the circuit attendance in 2012. This surge was due to the popularity of Formula 1: Drive to Survive in the United States and the honoring of the 2020 tickets as the 2020 United States Grand Prix was cancelled due to

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3520-462: The 2022 season as Genesys Andretti United Extreme E . The team also announced that they have retained Munnings and Hansen. The team finished the second season in fifth place. In February 2023, the team announced a title sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabia automotive company Altawkilat and will enter the 2023 season as Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E . Despite being dropped from the new identity, United Autosport will continue to hold an equity stake in

3630-709: The AutoNation INDYCAR Challenge . Andretti Autosport Andretti Global , formerly known as Andretti Autosport , is an American motorsports organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series , Indy NXT , Formula E , Extreme E , and joint entries in IMSA and the Australian Supercars Championship . The team was founded as Forsythe/Green Racing by Gerald Forsythe and Barry Green in 1993, and

3740-600: The COVID-19 pandemic . In April 2011, plans were unveiled by Tavo Hellmund of Full Throttle Productions and Kevin Schwantz of 3fourTexas for the circuit to host a round of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship , with the race to be known as the Texas Grand Prix . The race was the brainchild of Schwantz, the circuit co-designer, who would serve as event promoter with his company, 3fourTexas. However, following

3850-585: The GoDaddy car renumbered to #27. In 2012, rumors started that Andretti Autosport would expand to NASCAR 's Sprint Cup Series competition in 2013. Jayski's Silly Season Site stated that Andretti Autosport would field a single-car team in the Cup Series in 2013 with Dodge as the manufacturer. Two days later, Dodge reported that there was no deal with Andretti or any team for the 2013 Season. In addition to Patrick being replaced by Hinchcliffe, Mike Conway

3960-587: The Pro Mazda Championship and the U.S. F2000 National Championship , the feeder series to IndyCar (the " Road to Indy "). The season started strong as Hinchcliffe won the season's first race, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg , his first IndyCar Series victory. In the second race, the Grand Prix of Alabama , Hinchcliffe suffered a breakdown and would be stuck on the side for most of the race watching teammate Hunter-Reay go on to victory to make

4070-494: The 500, however, the race itself proved a disappointment with only Hinchcliffe completing the full 200 laps, finishing sixth. The eighth race of the season at the Milwaukee Mile would be won by Hunter-Reay, his third podium finish of the year. Hunter-Reay would go on to win three races in a row, adding victories at Iowa and Toronto . A fourth victory in the penultimate race of the season at Baltimore left Hunter-Reay as

4180-798: The Americas ( COTA ) is a Grade 1 FIA -specification 3.426-mile (5.514 km) motor racing track and facilities located in Austin , Texas , United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand Prix , NASCAR Texas Grand Prix , and the Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas , a round in MotoGP and the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Lone Star Le Mans . It previously hosted

4290-434: The Americas , but made no mention of the dispute with Schwantz or any outcome of it. Prior to the 2014 Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas , the circuit announced that COTA and Schwantz had amicably settled their legal differences and reached an agreement to collaborate to promote motorcycling racing, with Schwantz taking the role as official ambassador for COTA. On September 4, 2018, IndyCar announced that it has reached

4400-463: The Americas of "undermining" him, deliberately blocking his attempts to establish a race in order to have the contract terminated and allowing them to negotiate a more-favourable arrangement with Dorna. In October 2012, Dorna Sports announced that they had come to agreeable terms with organizers of the Texas motorcycle Grand Prix, including the race on the 2013 calendar as the Motorcycle Grand Prix of

4510-702: The Amphitheater and the Grand Plaza. A professional soccer team known as Austin Bold FC began playing in the USL Championship in 2019 until 2021. The stadium seats 5,000 people. The Austin Gilgronis of Major League Rugby was playing home games at the stadium in 2020. Official record lap times are only set during the race. The unofficial lap record is 1:32.029 set by Valtteri Bottas in

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4620-564: The Austin city council agreed to allow the circuit to apply to the Texas Major Events Trust Fund but withheld its full endorsement requiring the circuit to pay the financial match normally borne by the local government sponsor. As a part of the endorsement, the sport will pay $ 15,000 in carbon offsets and $ 5 million to establish an on-site research project into environmentally friendly technologies. On July 1, 2011,

4730-414: The Austin race, as well as the forward shift of the Grand Prix of Alabama that followed it, reduced the number of long gaps in the early portion of the season. The 2019 IndyCar Classic was also the first time that American open-wheel cars and F1 raced at the same track during the same season since 2006, when the now-defunct Champ Car World Series and F1 both raced at Montreal . In September 2018, COTA

4840-923: The Australian V8 Supercars , the Americas Rallycross Championship , the American Le Mans Series , the Rolex Sports Car Series , the IMSA SportsCar Championship and the IndyCar Classic . 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

4950-581: The CART championship in 1995 and the IndyCar Series championship four times ( 2004 , 2005 , 2007 , 2012 ). The team has won the Indy Lights championship in 2008 , 2009 , 2018 , 2019 , and 2021 . Andretti Global competes in Formula E since the series' formation, winning the 2022–23 driver's championship with Jake Dennis . In October 2024, Michael Andretti resigned from his position as CEO of Andretti Global, although he will continue to play

5060-451: The CART schedule, Andretti entered the 2001 Indianapolis 500 . Andretti and Green competed at Indy for the first time after a five-year absence, due to the ongoing open-wheel "split." Andretti won his last race as a driver at the 2002 Grand Prix of Long Beach . During the 2002 season , the team switched from Reynard to Lola chassis due to the former's financial troubles, producing a striking new livery for Franchitti's car to coincide with

5170-517: The CART series during the early 1980s under the Forsythe Racing banner and had achieved moderate success. The new team fielded two Atlantics entries for Claude Bourbonnais and Jacques Villeneuve during the 1993 season . In 1994 , the team moved up to the CART series with Villeneuve as the driver. The team scored second place at the 1994 Indianapolis 500 and Villeneuve won one race as

5280-608: The December 7 meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council or else risk being removed from the 2012 calendar. Ecclestone emphasized that if the Circuit of the Americas were removed from the calendar, it would not be added again at a later date. On December 7, 2011, the World Motor Sport Council released the final calendar for the 2012 season, with the Circuit of the Americas retaining its November 18 date. Further details revealed that

5390-523: The FIA accepted Andretti's bid to join the grid as the eleventh team from 2026 onward. However, on 31 January 2024, Formula One Management rejected Andretti's bid, citing a lack of competitiveness and value towards the championship. Mario Andretti was announced in November 2024 to be part of the board of directors of a new Cadillac Formula One team . † - Wheldon was signed to drive for Andretti in 2012, but

5500-468: The Indianapolis Star reported that Danica Patrick had signed a contract to stay with Andretti Green and the IndyCar Series through 2012. On 24 November 2009, Andretti Green Racing announced that the team restructuring was complete, and the team would be renamed Andretti Autosport with Michael Andretti as the sole owner. It was announced on 4 January 2010, that Ryan Hunter-Reay would join

5610-506: The March 10 season-opener at St. Petersburg, FL. It was the first time since 2014 that two tracks in Texas would appear on the IndyCar Series calendar. On February 11, 2020, (perhaps as a precursor of the season to come) the opening day of IndyCar Spring Training, cold temperatures and persistent showers severely limited track time for all competitors to slow installation laps and a few experimental runs on rain tires. With improved weather, on February 12, IndyCar concluded its first open test of

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5720-590: The Super Stage for the X Games Austin 2015 . The primary permanent seating at Circuit of the Americas is located within the Main Grandstand, designed by Miró Rivera Architects. Above-ground construction on the grandstand began in March 2012, and the "topping out" occurred in June 2012 with completion in time for the inaugural United States Grand Prix. The Main Grandstand is 65 feet (20 m) tall, and has

5830-586: The Wheel ) and RV camping took place during the entire race weekend, between Friday, March 22, and Sunday, March 24. The 2020 race, which would have been renamed the IndyCar Challenge and would have been sponsored by AutoNation , was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The race was not included on the 2021 IndyCar Series schedule. Circuit of the Americas Circuit of

5940-493: The announcement did not specify whether Cadillac would produce its own power unit or rebadge an existing manufacturer's unit. On 11 January, Michael said that two existing teams had stated their support for Andretti joining Formula One , those being McLaren , and Renault's Alpine . FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was surprised at the 'adverse reaction' by the teams and Formula One Management (FOM) to Andretti's project and tweeted in support of Andretti. On 2 October 2023,

6050-467: The appeal, to considerable disappointment and at considerable expense. In 2006, it was announced that AGR was selected by Honda Performance Development to be one of the official works teams for the new Acura LMP program in the American Le Mans Series . The team worked with Highcroft Racing on the development of the Courage LC75 chassis. The team debuted the newly renamed Acura ARX-01 at

6160-572: The assistance of German architect and circuit designer Hermann Tilke , who has also designed the Sepang , Shanghai , Yas Marina , Istanbul , Bahrain , Yeongam , and Buddh circuits, as well as the reprofiling of the Hockenheimring and Fuji Speedway . In a news conference on July 27, 2010, Tavo Hellmund announced plans to build the track on about 890 acres (3.6 km ) of undeveloped land in southeastern Travis County . The majority of

6270-487: The car was driven full-time by Herta and Christian Fittipaldi and occasionally driven by Kanaan at select longer distance events. the 2008 season saw fierce battles between the newly updated Acura ARX-01b , Porsche RS Spyders and the LMP1 Audi R10s . AGR claimed an overall victory at the Detroit race and finished the season with a class victory in the final race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca . The team finished

6380-486: The championship. The three main drivers for the team, Andretti, Hunter-Reay, and Hinchcliffe, all returned for 2013. In addition, E. J. Viso was added as a fourth car for the season, in conjunction with HVM Racing . Rookie driver Carlos Muñoz would also drive an entry for the team in the Indy 500 . Muñoz and Zach Veach would be the team's drivers in the lower level Indy Lights series. Andretti would also have entries in

6490-531: The change. In 2002 , both Tracy and Franchitti joined Andretti to race at the Indianapolis 500. Due to the MSA , however, primary sponsor KOOL could not appear on the cars, and associate sponsor 7-Eleven was on the sidepods instead. Tracy placed second in a highly controversial finish. The team protested the results, and a lengthy and contentious appeals process dragged on into the summer. Ultimately, Green lost

6600-523: The circuit widens on the approach to certain corners. The circuit was one of only a handful on the Formula One 2012 calendar to be run counter-clockwise, the others being Marina Bay , the Korea International Circuit , Yas Marina , and Interlagos . Because of this, the circuit contains more left-hand turns than right-hand ones, placing greater physical demands on the drivers whose bodies, particularly their necks, are more adapted to

6710-537: The circuit would be 3.426 miles (5.514 km) long and would be made up of twenty turns with an elevation change of 133 feet (41 m). The final plan of the circuit was released on September 1, 2010, showing a design inspired by the European tradition of sculpting the circuit to the contours of the land. The design draws from several European Formula One circuits, including a recreation of Silverstone's Maggotts–Becketts–Chapel sequence, Hockenheim's arena bends, and

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6820-540: The dispute between Hellmund and Epstein was reported to have been settled out of court. A crowd of 117,429 spectators watched the United States Grand Prix in November 2012 after four years of Formula One not hosting a Grand Prix in the United States. In October 2022, the three-day Formula One United States Grand Prix event drew a record number of fans. Roughly 440,000 people attended the event, breaking Formula One's attendance record of 400,000 set at

6930-613: The end of 2021, there were suggestions Andretti Autosport might purchase Sauber , the operators of the Alfa Romeo team or even Haas , however, these negotiations were unsuccessful. On 18 February 2022, 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti announced that his son, Michael , had filed an application with the FIA , Formula One 's governing body, to enter Andretti Global in 2024. A week later, Mario Andretti confirmed that they had an agreement with Renault to become an engine supplier of

7040-403: The final two corners of the circuit, a pair of left-hand bends that return the drivers to the main straight. The reception from drivers ahead of the inaugural race was highly positive. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton both praised the circuit, suggesting that it would be considerably more difficult to learn than other recent additions to the Formula One calendar. Jenson Button described

7150-453: The first IndyCar drivers to test at COTA. The entire field of full-season drivers tested at the track for the series-mandated IndyCar Spring Training on February 12–13, 2019. The second day featured an open period during which each team had 11 hours to test the performance of its cars, while there was also nearly 5 hours of testing for Indy Lights teams. Rookie Colton Herta described the racing at COTA as likely to be "spectacular" because of

7260-404: The first sector as "spectacular", but remarked that he felt that starting second would be better than starting first as the placement of pole position put it on a steeper incline than the rest of the grid. Mark Webber called the track "pretty good", praising in particular the track's quick first sector. Kamui Kobayashi however was less enthusiastic, claiming that he did not feel intimidated by

7370-703: The first time on May 23, 2021. The lower Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series were also added as support events. On December 11, 2020, it was announced that NASCAR would run the full 3.426 mi (5.514 km) course. EchoPark Automotive assumed naming rights for the Cup race, which dubbed it the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix. The Xfinity and Truck races were respectively named the Pit Boss 250 and Toyota Tundra 225 with title sponsorship from Pit Boss Grills and Toyota . The inaugural race weekend

7480-483: The increased volume of incoming traffic, but not before the running of the 2012 race. At the time of the announcement, the unstable clay soils under the road surface had caused Elroy Road to gradually buckle and shift, necessitating the upgrade. On June 13, 2012, Charlie Whiting —the FIA-appointed Race Director for Formula 1—declared himself satisfied with the circuit's construction, scheduling

7590-410: The lateral g-forces of clockwise circuits. From the start line, the drivers climb a gradient of over 11% to the first corner called Big Red—the highest point of the circuit—with the apex of the corner positioned on the crest of the hill, similar to Turn 4 of India . They then take a downhill right-hander inspired by the Senna 'S' of Interlagos before climbing back up the side of the hill to navigate

7700-610: The lawsuit. In November 2011, Bernie Ecclestone expressed what he called "minor" doubt over the future of the United States Grand Prix in Austin after "disagreements inside the [management] company". These issues were later confirmed when construction of the circuit came to a halt because of a dispute between the circuit owners, promoter Full Throttle Productions, and Formula One Management. Promoter Tavo Hellmund admitted that his company had been in breach of its contract with Formula One Management since May 2011. The situation further escalated when state comptroller Susan Combs described

7810-426: The north side of the Grand Plaza hosts concessions, retail, restroom facilities, and entrances to spectator seating. From the southeast end of the Grand Plaza, two pedestrian bridges cross over turns 16 and 3 to provide access for visitors to other areas of the circuit complex. Circuit of the Americas features a 251-foot (77 m) observation tower designed by Miró Rivera Architects and built by Patriot Erectors as

7920-427: The only challenger to Will Power for the series championship. Power, whose title had seemed inevitable after dominating the road and street courses early in the season, still had a 17-point lead. On lap 66 of the final race of the season at Fontana , with Power and Hunter-Reay racing side by side, Power spun, narrowly missing Hunter-Reay's car, and went hard into the outer wall. Hunter-Reay would finish in fourth to win

8030-424: The overtaking opportunities it offers. Rossi, who finished 12th in the 2015 United States Grand Prix at COTA racing for Manor Marussia , stated he was "very happy" that the IndyCar Series is "headed to the best road course". He also described COTA as "unlike any other track...by far the smoothest, widest track that we have". Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti added that he had "been pushing for this race for

8140-406: The planned Grand Prix of America as a threat to the race in Texas, and said that the first $ 25 million payment from the state sports fund would only be made available after the first Grand Prix at the circuit, despite having previously promised to make the funds available in time for the inaugural event. Bernie Ecclestone later issued an ultimatum to the owners and organizers: find a solution before

8250-514: The problem was the distribution of profits, while owner of Aston Martin , Lawrence Stroll , was in favor of the incorporation of Andretti to Formula One, although he would later be against it. In another interview, McLaren 's CEO Zak Brown showed his support for Andretti, saying other teams that were against Andretti's entry were being short-sighted. On 5 January 2023, Andretti Global announced their intention to enter Formula One in conjunction with General Motors brand Cadillac . However,

8360-673: The race investors, McCombs and Epstein, had reached a new arrangement with Ecclestone, with work on the circuit scheduled to resume immediately. As a part of the arrangement, organizers paid the sanctioning fee for the 2012 race one year in advance as a show of good faith. At the time of the circuit's reinstatement, there were no reports supporting Tavo Hellmund's continued involvement under the new contract. On March 4, 2012, The Austin American-Statesman reported that Hellmund had launched legal proceedings against investors Bobby Epstein and Red McCombs, with Hellmund claiming that he

8470-565: The race picked up the renewal on the contract. The race ran as scheduled on March 27, 2022. The promoters announced on the week prior to the race that NASCAR will be returning to Austin as they renewed for one more year. It will mark the third time consecutively that NASCAR goes to Austin. On November 20, 2024, it was announced that both the Cup and Xfinity Series races would move to the 2.356 mi (3.792 km) layout starting in 2025. In an episode of Speed TV 's Wind Tunnel program broadcast on August 22, 2010, Tavo Hellmund revealed that

8580-561: The race. (The only exception was Hinchcliffe, who crashed with 25 laps to go while fighting for 2nd position.). However, Busch, who finished in 6th on the lead-lap, fell short of completing all 1,100 miles for Double Duty when his engine expired on lap 274 of the 2014 Coca-Cola 600 . Andretti fielded a three-car full season effort in 2015 with Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Carlos Muñoz. Additionally, Simona de Silvestro , Justin Wilson , and Oriol Servia each joined for races throughout

8690-480: The racetrack. Karam won the 2010 points championship, Veach had 10 top-five finishes despite missing two events and the team secured the team championship for the 2010 season. Off the track, Karam has spoken at Operation Smile and Veach is working with Oprah Winfrey 's No Phone Zone and FocusDriven as a spokesKID for both. Spencer Pigot replaced the departing Sage Karam for the 2011 season. Pigot finished second in standings, while teammate Veach finished fourth. At

8800-543: The season 4th in the Teams' Championship. Acura discontinued its relationship with the team for the 2009 season due to mixed results. The team did not compete in 2009. Andretti Autosport announced on March 4, 2010, that they would begin competing in the U.S. F2000 National Championship when they signed Sage Karam . The team was looking for a teammate for Karam and announced on 26 March 2010, that they had signed Zach Veach to join him. The two have been very active on and off

8910-412: The season. However, the 2020 race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On October 1, 2020, Indycar released the 2021 calendar with COTA dropped from the schedule unexpectedly to the surprise of many, after it was announced two years prior that they had a multi-year deal in place between Indycar and COTA. On September 30, 2020, it was announced that COTA would host a NASCAR Cup Series event for

9020-429: The season. Andretti moved from the 25 team to the 27 team, in light of James Hinchcliffe's departure after 2014. Muñoz's team was renumbered from 34 to 26, while the 25 team fielded de Silvestro, Wilson, and Servia. 2015 saw the debut of the 29 team, where it was the 5th Andretti entry at Indianapolis - de Silvestro was the driver. Andretti claimed two podiums, en route to a 9th place finish in the standings. Hunter-Reay saw

9130-405: The seat, and KOOL cigarettes came on board as the major sponsor. The team became known as Team KOOL Green , and expanded to a two-car effort in 1998 with Paul Tracy and rising star Dario Franchitti . The two stayed on as teammates for five seasons. In 2001 , Michael Andretti joined the organization as a satellite team headed by Kim Green, known as Team Motorola . In addition to running

9240-625: The second and third levels. The Velocity Lounge on the second level is approximately 7,100 sq ft (660 m ), and contains a 36-screen video wall and the acrylic painting "Velocity" by Dallas-based artist Christopher Martin measuring 120 feet (37 m) in length. Both the Main Grandstand and the concessions buildings in the Grand Plaza were conceived as a modular system consisting of several components that can be arranged according to need. The concessions, with banners and deep canopies, can be expanded with restrooms, permanent seating or suites. Inherent to this “kit-of-parts” construction system

9350-522: The series giving the track a discounted sanction fee in exchange for TMS allowing the series to schedule other races in Texas. At the time of the negotiations in August 2018, Jim Ayello of The Indianapolis Star speculated that the new deal between the series and TMS would allow IndyCar to run at either COTA or a new street circuit in San Antonio . Ultimately, the series scheduled a race in Austin as

9460-451: The settlement of the lawsuit between Tavo Hellmund and Bobby Epstein, Schwantz announced that he would be suing Steve Sexton. Schwantz claimed that upon the resolution of the dispute between Hellmund and Epstein, Sexton moved to negotiate directly with MotoGP 's commercial rights holder, Dorna Sports , ignoring what he claimed was an existing contract between Dorna and 3fourTexas to hold the race. Circuit representatives denied that there

9570-480: The site "Speed City", but the owners originally anticipated selling the naming rights to various parts of the facility for $ 7 million. On April 12, 2011, the track's name was announced as "Circuit of the Americas" at a press conference. Red McCombs, later said: “One of the most inviting aspects of the name is the word ‘Americas’. It reflects Austin's ideal location at the crossroads of North America from north to south, east to west. Also, it speaks to our state as

9680-535: The site had been planned to be developed into a residential subdivision called "Wandering Creek". In the same news conference, Hellmund also revealed that Texas billionaire Red McCombs was the project's largest investor. The circuit homologation design was submitted to the FIA in Geneva for approval on December 17, 2010. HKS, Inc. and Tilke Engineers & Architects designed the track, and Austin Commercial,

9790-518: The sixth team to join the series. Andretti Autosport would partner with United Autosport and the team entered the inaugural season as Andretti United Extreme E with Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen signed as drivers for the team. The team won its first race in the Arctic X-Prix and finished the first season in fourth place. In December 2021, the team announced a title sponsorship deal with American software company Genesys and entered

9900-462: The steep climb to the first corner as it was no different from Eau Rouge at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps , and accusing the media of hyping it up without precedent. Bordered by the track on three sides, the Grand Plaza is a 20-acre (0.081 km ) space designed by Miró Rivera Architects of Austin, Texas that includes a large reflecting pool, lawn, and varying landscape zones. A promenade along

10010-480: The team two for two. The streak broke in week three, with both Hinchcliffe and Hunter-Reay exiting the race early. High and low would go on to be a theme for the team that season. Hinchcliffe would go on to win two more races, but a variety of mechanical problems would see him finish the year eighth. Hunter-Reay would have a similar season, winning two races but finishing the season a disappointing seventh following his 2012 championship. Conversely, Andretti would stay near

10120-451: The team, replacing Hideki Mutoh. Hunter-Reay earned the team its first victory since 2008 by winning the Grand Prix of Long Beach . Kanaan picked up the team's second win of the season at Iowa . Kanaan and Hunter-Reay led the team in the points standings, finishing 6th and 7th. Following the 2010 season, veteran driver Tony Kanaan was released from the team due to the lack of sponsorship. Kanaan later signed with KV Racing Technology . It

10230-632: The team. After the 2022 Miami Grand Prix , James Vowles spent a week with Andretti Autosport and explained to them what the current state of Formula One was and what was needed to run a Formula One team. In August 2022, the FIA stated that it was not seeking to increase the number of teams on the Formula One grid and some team officials, including CEO of Mercedes F1 , Toto Wolff , and team principal of Alfa Romeo, Frédéric Vasseur , were against Andretti's entry, saying that Formula One needed big car manufacturers to add value, like Audi . Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner stressed that

10340-584: The team. The team retained Munnings and Hansen for the third season in a row, with the pair signing a multiyear extension deal with the team in November 2022. In 2018, Andretti Autosport entered the Australian Supercars Championship after purchasing a 37.5% shareholding in Walkinshaw Andretti United . The team was founded in 1993 by Barry Green and Gerald Forsythe as Forsythe Green Racing . Forsythe had previously competed in

10450-498: The team. Following a restructuring during the 2023 season, the team rebranded to Andretti Global in deference to the team's new parent company, formed in 2022 by Andretti and businessman Dan Towriss to pursue a Formula One entry. On 7 October 2024 it was confirmed Michael Andretti would be standing down as team owner. In total, the team has won the Indianapolis 500 six times, in 1995 , 2005 , 2007 , 2014 , 2016 , 2017 ,

10560-461: The top of the standings for most of the season after starting by finishing no worse than 7th in seven of his first eight races, but after two early third-place finishes, he would not see the podium the remainder of the year and finished the season in 5th place. Viso, meanwhile who came into the team with a reputation for being involved in collisions, showed flashes of success, including a fourth-place finish at Milwaukee, but had only two top-ten finishes,

10670-461: The track's desire to be fully prepared for hosting a new event after previously concentrating on its F1 and MotoGP races. Furthermore, a territorial restriction agreement that the IndyCar Series had with Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) had previously prevented the series from running races at COTA or other venues in Texas . However, negotiations between IndyCar and TMS president Eddie Gossage resulted in

10780-635: The venue the Germania Insurance Amphitheater under a seven-year deal with the Brenham, Texas based insurance company. The Germania Insurance Super Stage is a temporary stage used for concerts that exceed the 14,000 capacity of the Germania Insurance Amphitheater. The Super Stage is mainly used for the F1 Concerts and the big acts. It is located in the infield of Circuit of the Americas between Turn 11 and Turn 12. ESPN built

10890-486: Was announced as his replacement in the 27 car. Mutoh was the runner-up in the 2007 Indy Pro Series season . The 2008 IndyCar driver lineup returned to the team in 2009. However, for the first time since 2003, the team failed to win a race. Danica Patrick was the team's leading driver finishing 5th in points. Kanaan finished 6th with three podium finishes. The team repeated their Indy Lights championship, this time with American driver J. R. Hildebrand . On 25 September 2009,

11000-553: Was announced that the team's other three drivers – Hunter-Reay, Andretti, and Patrick – would return for the 2011 season. Hunter-Reay was signed to a two-year contract through 2012. The 2011 season marked a return to the victory circle for Andretti Autosport, with Mike Conway winning at Long Beach , Marco Andretti ending a personal 79 race winless drought with his second career win at Iowa , and Ryan Hunter-Reay winning at New Hampshire . Disaster struck at Indianapolis when Mike Conway failed to qualify and Marco Andretti

11110-649: Was considering modifying its track layout for the IndyCar Classic, similarly to what it had previously done for the Australian-based V8 Supercars Austin 400 race, but Epstein did not speculate about what modifications might be made. In its F1 layout at 3.427 miles (5.515 km) in length, COTA was the second-longest track on IndyCar's 2019 schedule, trailing only Road America at 4.048 miles (6.515 km) long. In late October 2018, Tony Kanaan and Alexander Rossi became

11220-411: Was ever a contract between Schwantz and the Circuit of the Americas, and that his dispute was with Dorna Sports. Dorna later claimed that although a contract for the race between Dorna and Schwantz had existed, the contract had been terminated in July 2012 as they believed Schwantz had failed to acquire the necessary rights from the circuit to hold the race. Schwantz then accused Sexton and the Circuit of

11330-492: Was finished on September 21. The track was officially opened on October 21, with Mario Andretti running the ceremonial first laps in a Lotus 79 , the car he drove when he became the last American to win the World Drivers' Championship in 1978 . The Grand Plaza, Observation Structure, Tower Amphitheater, and Main Grandstand were designed by Austin-based architectural firm Miró Rivera Architects. McCombs wished to call

11440-427: Was forced to bump teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay from the final spot in the field, forcing Michael Andretti to purchase the already qualified spot of A. J. Foyt Enterprises driver Bruno Junqueira to meet Hunter-Reay's sponsorship commitments. In August 2011, Danica Patrick announced her departure from the IndyCar Series to move to NASCAR for the 2012 season; Patrick ran a full-schedule of Nationwide Series events and

11550-577: Was known for most of its formative years as Team Green under the control of Green and his brother Kim, competing in the CART Indy Car World Series. 1991 CART champion Michael Andretti purchased a stake in the team in 2002, renaming it to Andretti Green Racing and switching to the Indy Racing League for the 2003 season. From 2009 through 2023, the team was known as Andretti Autosport, with Andretti in full control of

11660-513: Was marred by rain, with the Truck race on Saturday being in wet conditions while the Xfinity event later in the day was drier. The Cup race the following day, won by Chase Elliott , was shortened as the weather worsened and caused low driver visibility. On September 15, The Athletic has reported that NASCAR will return to the circuit for the 2022 season as Speedway Motorsports , the promoter of

11770-420: Was not brought back for the 2012 season, leaving the team with three full-time cars. Two additional drivers, Sebastián Saavedra and Ana Beatriz were signed for three and two races respectively, including the Indy 500 . With Honda no longer the sole engine supplier for the series, a deal was reached with Chevrolet to provide engines for the team. The team's three drivers qualified second, third, and fourth for

11880-484: Was replaced on the Hinchcliffe car by United Fiber & Data. Viso was not brought back, with Muñoz taking over as the driver of the fourth full-time car. In the 2014 Indianapolis 500 , the team fielded a fifth car for NASCAR driver Kurt Busch , who attempted Double Duty . Busch and three of the four full-time Andretti Autosport drivers finished the Indianapolis 500 in the top six, including Hunter-Reay, who won

11990-431: Was still a part of the management company and had not been paid since September. Further details emerged, reporting that Hellmund was in the process of attempting to acquire Epstein's interest in the company, describing the condition of the circuit as of March 4 as "teetering". Epstein responded to the lawsuit by stating that Hellmund had been found to have been in breach of contract by Formula One Management. In June 2012,

12100-440: Was to be used to restore the land if the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declined to allow the project to move forward because part of the site lies in a floodplain . FEMA issued a letter on June 28, 2011, stating the project meets its floodplain management criteria. In January 2012, Travis County announced that Elroy Road—one of the two primary public access roads to the circuit—would receive an upgrade to handle

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