United StatesGrand Prix

The inaugural Formula One World Championship race to be held in the United States came at the Sebring International Raceway in 1959, before moving to the Riverside International Raceway in California in 1960 and finally finding a more permanent home at Watkins Glen from 1961 to 1980. After briefly returning at the Phoenix Street Circuit from 1989 to 1991, the race failed to appear on the calendar until a stint at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000 to 2007.

The 2012 season saw Formula One racing return to the United States for the first time since 2007 with an all-new venue in Austin, Texas. The Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the US.

Fact File: United States Grand Prix

• The Circuit of the Americas is one of the bumpiest tracks of the year due to subsidence.

• The bumps also tend to move and change year-on-year. The track is regularly ground down and resurfaced to try and smooth these challenges.

• Several corners at COTA were inspired by iconic turns from European tracks. These include Turns 3 to 6, which are modelled on the Maggotts and Becketts section of Silverstone. Turns 12 to 15 replicate Hockenheim's stadium section and Turns 16-18 are similar to Turn 8 at Istanbul Park.

• The track requires moderately high downforce and has a large DRS effect. That allows teams to run reasonably large wings as a result.

• The first sector is incredibly challenging and technical. A lot of time can be gained and lost through the interconnected series of corners.

• COTA is one of nine tracks on the calendar that is fully anticlockwise. The others are: Jeddah, Miami, Imola, Baku, Singapore, Interlagos, Las Vegas, and Yas Marina.

• It is one of the busiest laps for gear changes, with 70 recorded across one circuit. That is the third highest total of the year, behind only Bahrain and Baku.

• Several corners feature wide entries to encourage different lines and promote overtaking. These include Turns 1, 11, and 15.

• The latter also forces the drivers to brake whilst the car is turning at the same time. This can cause lockups if pushing the tyre over the limit of adhesion.

• The weather in Texas can be unpredictable, particularly the temperatures. They can vary from single digits on cool mornings to reaching into the 30s on the very warmest days.