The F1 season heats up with the much-anticipated American tour, marking the beginning of the championship’s final phase. Over five weeks, drivers and teams will face four crucial races across North and South America. The first event is set for Sunday, October 20, with the United States Grand Prix, hosted for the eleventh consecutive time by the Austin circuit. This part of the season will be key in determining the championship’s outcome.
Wins
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most wins at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), with five victories (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). The British driver also celebrated two world titles in Texas, his third in 2015 and his sixth in 2019. Other winners include Sebastian Vettel (2013), Kimi Räikkönen (2018), Valtteri Bottas (2019), and Max Verstappen, who has triumphed in the last three years (2021, 2022, 2023). Among teams, Mercedes leads with five wins, followed by Red Bull with four. Only McLaren (2012) and Ferrari (2018) have managed to break the dominance of these two teams.
Pole Position
Lewis Hamilton is also the leader in pole positions at the Circuit of the Americas, having secured three (2016, 2017, 2018). Before him, Sebastian Vettel (2012, 2013) and Nico Rosberg (2014, 2015) each took two poles. In more recent times, the fastest in qualifying have been Valtteri Bottas (2019), Max Verstappen (2021), Carlos Sainz Jr. (2022), and Charles Leclerc (2023). In terms of teams, Mercedes dominates with six pole positions, all consecutive between 2014 and 2019, followed by Red Bull with three and Ferrari with two.
Podiums
When it comes to podium finishes, Lewis Hamilton leads the rankings at the Circuit of the Americas with nine top-three placements. Currently, six active drivers have earned at least one podium in Austin:
Hamilton: 9 podiums (5 wins, 3 second places, 1 third place)
Verstappen: 4 podiums (2 wins, 1 second, 1 third)
Ricciardo: 2 podiums (both third places)
Bottas, Alonso, Perez, Leclerc, Sainz, and Norris: 1 podium each.
Facts
Many corners at the Austin circuit are reminiscent of those from famous tracks already on the calendar, such as the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel sequence at Silverstone, the arena section at Hockenheim, and turn 8 at Istanbul.
The circuit’s absolute lap record is 1’32.029, set by Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes during the 2019 United States Grand Prix qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton holds the distinction of being the only driver to have won at the Circuit of the Americas with two different teams: McLaren and Mercedes.
Another driver worth mentioning is Sebastian Vettel, who set the fastest lap in the race five times (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).
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