Circuit of the America boss Bobby Epstein's vision is to make this year's Formula 1 race in Austin 'the biggest sporting event in the world this year.'
- This year, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, celebrates its 10th anniversary.
- It now has the assurance of fugture F1 races at the facility, following the renewal of its contract with the series through 2026.
- Austin has gone from F1’s sole U.S. destination for a decade to one of two this year and will be one of a trio from 2023.
When the Formula 1 circus first pulled the trailers up to the behemothic purpose-built Circuit of the Americas facility just outside of Austin, Texas, it was hoping to find a permanent home in a country whose fans it long sought to capture.
That was 2012, and a nation that once appeared distant to Formula 1 is now fully engrossed, with the Miami Grand Prix having debuted in May, and the much-anticipated F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix set to happen] next November.
Austin’s Circuit of the Americas—now firmly established as the home of the United States Grand Prix—is the grandfather of what will be three Grands Prix in the U.S. beginning in 2023.
This year, COTA celebrates its 10th anniversary. It now has the assurance of future events following the renewal of its contract through 2026.
Did COTA ever feel that it would get to this stage of being considered a cornerstone of the current schedule?
“We thought it would get to this point because when we built a track specifically to host Formula 1, it’s not an undertaking that’s inexpensive or something done lightly, so you hope it’s going to have a home for more than 10 years,” COTA chairman Bobby Epstein told Autoweek. “The drivers have received it well, the fans have received it well, and I think it’s (course designer Hermann) Tilke’s greatest design. That’s led to the longevity that I think we’re seeing.
Formula 1 came to Texas with a lot of fanfare and a cloud of dust in 2012.
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“The road to get here is probably not the route we thought it would be—it was certainly rough—and we had some rough years. There were times we probably felt like getting to year 10 might be painful but now I think when we look back we’re very pleased, satisfied and gratified that we’re here to see all the fans supporting us and supporting the sport.”
High points for Epstein include “hearing Lewis (Hamilton) saying it was his favorite circuit” and “watching a family dancing together to one of the bands that were playing,” counterbalanced by low moments, none more so than “the rain event (in 2015) that caused a lot of flooding, mud, cars stuck (in parking lots) and broken sewer lines—that was not a fun year.”
Last fall’s COTA event was almost like a carnival; its 2020 absence, the full impact of Drive to Survive, and the post-pandemic desire for social gatherings led to a weekend attendance of 400,000.
Yuki Tsunoda drives past the iconic tower at Circuit of the Americas in 2021.
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COTA is building on that experience in an attempt to be, in the words of Epstein, “the biggest sporting event in the world this year—and certainly the largest F1 event in their 70-plus year history.”
The event has been a sellout for several months, so COTA has been able to apply lessons from 2021 in a bid to expand further.
“We have been able to order the equipment you need to host a bigger crowd,” Epstein said. “Rather than just sell more general admission tickets—the hills are already packed with people, which is a wonderful sight—we’ve been able to build grandstands inside the loop, instead of just outside of the track.”
COTA Refinements for 2022
Ed Sheeran is coming to COTA to help expose new fans to Formula 1.
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Other refinements for 2022 include increasing the number of shuttle buses by 250 to 600 to “sort of create our own mass transit system,” while Elroy Road has finally been expanded to five lanes, which should help traffic flow to the SH130.
COTA will also continue its trend of star music names; in past seasons it has welcomed Elton John, Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. This year’s headline acts are Green Day and Ed Sheeran.
Swift’s presence in particular enabled COTA to “connect to the audience in a kind of subliminal way in that we brought them in for the music, and they experienced Formula 1—and the event—and came back.” That gave COTA a heads-up on the potential of attracting a new and younger audience to F1, which Netflix’s Drive to Survive subsequently realized.
Keeping COTA Unique
Heading into its 2022 event, COTA has now firmly established itself on the calendar but there remains a relentless desire to improve year-on-year while retaining its unique flavor.
“This year what speaks to that is that the billboards this year say ‘it’s F1 time y’all’—and we do think that we’re unique, it’s a Texas experience, and we don’t want to lose that identity,” Epstein says. “But really it’s the crowd that makes it so special. The spirit here is genuine and it has tradition—it takes years to get tradition—so we’re lucky to be in that position. We learn as a venue what people like to do from an entertainment perspective, or whether it’s somebody in the campground that likes to pitch their spot next to the same guy every year, and they keep coming back to the same spot—it’s a combination of what we do and what the fans do.
Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal greets Max Verstappen on the podium at COTA in 2021.
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“The American entertainment and sports experience—and expectations from fans here—are probably higher than anywhere else in the world, so I hope we’re leading the way and setting the standard in terms of entertainment.”
Austin has gone from F1’s sole U.S. destination for a decade to one of two this year and will be one of a trio from 2023. However, Epstein believes the three events are “uniquely different” and they don’t hurt each other.
“I think the fact that Miami and COTA are spread as far apart on the calendar that they need to be to be almost commercials for each other (helps both races), and makes you excited for the other event,” Epstein said. “Vegas will be so unique: late night, in the desert, with all those lights, it’ll be a spectacle.
“Certainly, for the racing fan, we’ll always get those (at COTA), and the atmosphere you get here, 40 hours of programming across the weekend, then with the camp grounds and the concerts and the displays… each of them (U.S. races) have their own unique character.”
Formula 1 is COTA’s main event and it is flanked by MotoGP’s Grand Prix of the Americas and NASCAR’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Yet COTA is increasingly tapping into external business opportunities. It already has karting, bike nights and high-profile concerts visiting its Amphitheatre. That expansion is ongoing.
“We’re finally at the point where we’re sustainable the rest of the year.”
“It took more than five years, but we’re finally at the point where we’re sustainable the rest of the year and F1 is able to complement our overall year from a business point of view,” said Epstein. “The amusement park is coming along. We’ll have 30+ rides, it’ll be a true theme park, and from our vantage point it takes advantage of our existing assets: we have space, we have the concession stands, 30,000 parking spaces. And Austin is growing very fast, but the nearest family destinations are about 75 miles away in San Antonio, so I think Austin is ready for more destination entertainment.”
The T-11 Car Condos are arriving shortly for enthusiasts and collectors to enjoy the perks of luxury car ‘storage’ at a premier racetrack, and offers a chance to build community. COTA has also concepted an expansion plan that seeks to bring days’ worth of entertainment and experiences for guests even without major events.
“They may come for the non-racing events but they’re going to get exposed to a circuit and have a chance to say ‘what’s that all about’ and want to learn more—so it’s to our advantage that we have more people [exposed] to what we have to offer.”
First up though is the U.S. Grand Prix – and COTA certainly isn’t resting on its laurels.
Max Verstappen crosses the finish line at COTA.
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Keyword: 10 Years and Counting: How the F1 US Grand Prix Aims to Be ‘F1’s Largest Ever Event’