Formula 1 has announced that a five-year extension has been given to Circuit of The Americas (COTA), home to the United States Grand Prix, in a deal which will see COTA on the calendar until at least 2026.
After not featuring in 2020 due to the pandemic, fans returned in their thousands last season, to witness an epic duel between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. At the event last season COTA saw record breaking crowds over the three days. The weekend of the Grand Prix was also announced as the highest grossing weekend in Austin for 2021.
Formula 1 first visited COTA in 2012 and with its absence in 2020, the 2022 United States Grand Prix will be COTA’s tenth time hosting the championship. Incredibly the number of fans which attended last year’s race was nearly four times the amount that attended in 2012. The Netflix Formula 1 series ‘Drive To Survive’, has played a huge role in the sports growth on the other side of the Atlantic.
Bobby Epstein, Founding Partner at Circuit of The Americas, is extremely grateful to all the fans, who make the United States Grand Prix the special event that it is.
“The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix has become one of the biggest and greatest events in the world. We are extremely proud it has found a home in Texas – at Circuit of The Americas – and are grateful to the millions of fans who visited us over our first decade.
“We knew Austin, along with our neighbors in San Antonio and beyond, would be welcoming hosts – and they proved it! Thanks to everyone in the Formula 1 community for supporting our endeavors and rewarding our hard work. We are glad to have renewed our commitments and look forward to many more years of World Championship racing, entertainment, and fun.”
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, is very happy that the Circuit of The Americas will continue to feature on the Formula 1 calendar.
“We are thrilled to be announcing the extension with the Circuit of The Americas ahead of the exciting new 2022 season. I want to thank the promoter for their ongoing dedication and enthusiasm for Formula 1 where together we are continuing to grow the excitement around our sport in the US following the huge success of Netflix, the work of ESPN, and the incredible season we had in 2021. Austin is a great city, and the track is a favorite for all the drivers, and we cannot wait to be back in October for more action and entertainment.”
