United StatesGrand Prix

Designed by renowned Hermann Tilke, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) made its Formula 1 debut in 2012. The circuit shares many similar characteristics to other venues that we race at, such as Turns 3 to 6 which might make one think of the iconic Silverstone Maggotts Becketts corners. There are also loose tributes to Suzuka, Interlagos and even Istanbul Park to be found throughout a lap.

Over a 5.513km lap you’ll encounter 20 corners, which is tied as the second-highest number on the calendar with Baku, with only the Jeddah circuit having more. There are also two DRS zones, and it’s an anti-clockwise circuit. There’s also plenty of elevation change, just shy of 31 metres from the lowest to the highest point, with the biggest climb being up into Turn 1 – a popular overtaking spot.

Since racing here last year, COTA has been resurfaced and the track made much smoother. In previous years it received some heavy criticism for its bumpy asphalt, but changes have been made that should improve things but could mean lower grip levels than we’ve seen in the past. Uneven track surfaces can have many impacts, including needing to raise the ride height which affects aerodynamics and reinforcing parts of your car to strengthen it. Tyre stress and downforce levels are also high here, as well as heavy lateral loads to the cars.