F1 Driver Form: United States Grand Prix at COTA

Hamilton has won five of the 11 races at COTA, while Norris and Tsunoda are the only other current drivers who’ve never failed to pick up points at the United States Grand Prix. Here’s everything you need to know about each driver’s history at Circuit of The Americas!

🇳🇱 Max VERSTAPPEN

Max Verstappen has won the United States Grands Prix in each of the last three seasons and has finished on the podium on all of his last five appearances at Circuit of The Americas. He could have finished on the podium in 2017 too, if not for a time penalty for an overtake beyond track limits. Instead, fourth place had to do. In addition, he finished an impressive fourth with Toro Rosso in 2015. Verstappen’s only retirement at the track came in 2016.

2018 is the only year in which Verstappen has failed to reach Q3 at COTA. He started 18^th that year after an engine penalty, leading to a great comeback drive in the race. He similarly gained 12 positions in the previous year.

Verstappen recorded his first pole at the venue in 2021 and won from third on the grid in 2022. In 2023, he became the first driver to win at COTA having not started from the front row of the grid. He started six in the 2023 race, one day after he had won the Sprint event from pole position. Verstappen is yet to lose a position from where he started on any of his seven finishes at the track.

MAX VERSTAPPEN’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇲🇽 Sergio PEREZ

Sergio Perez recorded his first United States Grand Prix podium result in 2021 with third place. Perez has scored on all but two visits to COTA. In 2019, Perez finished tenth, ending a three year streak of eighth place results. 2012, when he finished 12th, and 2014, when he retired, are the only seasons that Perez has not scored at the track. He has finished fourth in each of the last two seasons.

Perez has reached Q3 on seven of his 11 visits to the United States Grand Prix, with a best qualifying position of third place in 2021. Perez has not out-qualified a team-mate at the track since 2015.

Aside from his 2014 retirement, Perez has never lost a position from where he started in the United States Grand Prix. He made up five positions in the 2022 race having taken a grid penalty and made up the same number of positions when starting ninth again in 2023.

SERGIO PEREZ’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇬🇧 Lewis HAMILTON

He may not have won here since 2017, but Lewis Hamilton is the undisputed King of COTA. He has won five races at the track, and has finished on the podium in all but two of the 11 race weekends held at the circuit.

The only seasons in which Hamilton has not finished in the top three at the Circuit of the Americas are in 2013, when he finished fourth and in 2023, when he finished second on the road before being disqualified after his car failed post race checks.

In 2019, Hamilton ended a three-year streak of pole positions at the track. Before his run of poles, he had qualified on the front row three times. He returned to the front row in 2021, qualifying second. Hamilton has never qualified outside of the top five at COTA. He qualified fifth here in 2013, 2019 and 2022.

2018 is the only season that Hamilton has finished in a position lower than where he has started at the United States Grand Prix, while 2013 is the only season that he hasn’t led a lap of the race here. Hamilton remains the only driver to have completed every racing lap which has been held at Circuit of The Americas.

LEWIS HAMILTON’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇬🇧 George RUSSELL

George Russell finished 17th on his first United States Grand Prix outing in 2019 and bettered that with 14th place in 2021. He scored his first points at the track in 2022, finishing in fifth place. He repeated that result in the 2023 United States Grand Prix.

From his three appearances, Russell has recorded one Q1 elimination, one Q2 exit and a two Q3 appearances. He recorded his best qualifying result at the track to date in 2023 with fifth place, though as a result of penalties for other drivers he started fourth on the grid in 2022. The last two seasons are the first in which Russell has been out-qualified by a team-mate at COTA.

GEORGE RUSSELL’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇲🇨 Charles LECLERC

From four appearances at the United States Grand Prix, Leclerc has failed to finish once. After finishing fourth on consecutive visits in 2019 and 2021, Leclerc recorded his first podium finish at the track in 2022, finishing in third place.

Leclerc finished sixth at the 2023 United States Grand Prix but was subsequently disqualified from the race as a result of post race checks showing excessive wear on his Ferrari’s rear skid blocks

Leclerc has reached the final part of qualifying on all five appearances at the circuit, After recording his first front row start at the track in 2022, he recorded his first pole position at the United States Grand Prix in 2023.

CHARLES LECLERC’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇪🇸 Carlos SAINZ

Carlos Sainz took pole position at the United States Grand Prix in 2022 but was taken out of the race on the first lap by George Russell. It was the first time in seven appearances that Sainz failed to finish in the top eight at COTA.

Sainz returned to the points at COTA in the 2023 United States Grand Prix. After finishing fourth on the road, Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification meant that the Ferrari driver moved up to a top three finishing position after the podium celebrations had taken place.

Sainz’s best result at COTA before last year’s podium was sixth, recorded with Toro Rosso back in 2016. He has finished seventh four times and came home eighth in 2019.

Sainz has failed to reach Q3 at the track only twice, exiting in Q1 on his first appearance in 2016 and exiting in Q2 in 2018.

2019 marked the first time that Sainz has lost a position from where he started at the United States Grand Prix – something which happened again in 2021.

CARLOS SAINZ’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇬🇧 Lando NORRIS

Lando Norris has scored points on all four visits to COTA and recorded his first United States Grand Prix podium finish in 2023, where he finished as runner-up. He lead 21 laps of last year’s race.

He finished seventh on his United States Grand Prix debut in 2019, came home eighth in 2021 and finished in sixth place in the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

Norris qualified on the front row at the United States Grand Prix for the first time last year. He has reached Q3 on all four appearances, with 2023 being the first time that he did not qualify in eighth place – though he moved up to seventh on the grid in 2021 and sixth in 2022. 2022 was the first time he out-qualified a team-mate at the track. He did so again in 2023.

Prior to the start of his F1 career, Norris previously drove at COTA with McLaren in Free Practice 1 for the 2018 United States Grand Prix.

LANDO NORRIS’ UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇦🇺 Oscar PIASTRI

After reaching Q3 and qualifying tenth – eight places behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris – Piastri’s first Grand Prix appearance at Circuit of The Americas lasted only ten laps before he was forced to retire with overheating issues.

Piastri had never previously raced at Circuit of The Americas prior to the 2023 United States Grand Prix weekend, though he had completed laps in an F1 car at the track. In April 2022, Piastri took part in a test with Alpine at COTA, driving the team’s 2021 car.

OSCAR PIASTRI’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇪🇸 Fernando ALONSO

Fernando Alonso finished on the podium at Circuit of the Americas in the inaugural race here in 2012. That’s his only podium finish here – though he went on to record three more top six finishes, with fifth in 2013 and 2016, and sixth in 2014.

Alonso retired from each of his three appearances at the circuit between 2017 and 2021 and recorded a fourth DNF in five appearances at the track in 2023. Since 2016, the 2022 United States Grand Prix, in which he finished seventh despite a collision with Lance Stroll, is the only time that Alonso has scored any points at COTA.

From his last seven appearances here, Alonso has reached Q3 only twice. His best qualifying result is sixth, recorded in 2013 and 2014, while 2012 and 2021 are the only seasons in which he has been out-qualified by a team-mate at the venue. In 2023, Alonso recorded his second Q1 exit at the United States Grand Prix. 2018 is the only other season in which he has been eliminated in the second stage of qualifying.

FERNANDO ALONSO’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇨🇦 Lance STROLL

With seventh place in the 2023 United States Grand Prix, Lance Stroll scored points at Circuit of The Americas for the first time in his six visits to the track. Despite his lack of points, he held a 100% finishing rate at the track until 2022, when he collided with the rear of Fernando Alonso’s Alpine and retired from the race.

2019 marked the first time Stroll has progressed past Q1 at COTA, qualifying in 14th place, while 2022 is the only time he has reached Q3 here to date, having qualified seventh. He moved up to fifth on the final grid. It remains his only start from the top 12 grid positions at COTA.

LANCE STROLL’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇫🇷 Esteban OCON

From his six appearances so far at the United States Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon has scored only once. He finished sixth in 2017, bagging eight points. He also finished eighth in 2018, but was disqualified from the event as his car exceeded fuel flow limits on the opening lap of the race.

Ocon has not scored at the track since his return to Formula 1 in 2020. He failed to finish the race in both 2021 and 2023 and came home 11^th in 2022.

Ocon has reached the final part of qualifying three times at the Circuit of The Americas, with a best qualifying result of sixth in 2018. His Q3 appearance in 2023 was his first at the circuit since 2018.

2016, 2022 and 2023 are the only seasons in which Ocon has been out-qualified by a team-mate at the track, with 2022 marking his first Q1 exit at the venue since his first appearance in 2016.

ESTEBAN OCON’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇫🇷 Pierre GASLY

Pierre Gasly finished sixth at the 2023 United States Grand Prix, scoring points for the first time in his five visits to Circuit of The Americas. Prior to 2023, his best result here was 12th, recorded in 2018. He finished 14^th in 2022, 16th in 2019 and retired from the race in 2021.

Gasly reached Q3 at the United States Grand Prix for the first time in 2019 and went on to record his best qualifying result here in 2023 with seventh place. 2022 was the first time he was out in Q1 at the track since his first appearance in 2018. He has out-qualified his team-mate on all five visits to the track.

Gasly gained seven places from where he started in 2018, which was the only COTA race in which he finished in a better position than where he started until 2023, when he gained one place from his starting slot.

PIERRE GASLY’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇹🇭 Alex ALBON

Alex Albon finished fifth on his first appearance at the United States Grand Prix in 2019. He started the race from sixth place after being out-qualified by his team-mate.

In 2022, Albon out-qualified his team-mate and qualified in 11^th place. He moved up to eighth place on the final grid, but lost positions in the Grand Prix and finished 13^th.

Last year, Albon maintained his 100% finish rate at the track and returned to the points at COTA with a ninth place finish. He had recorded his first Q1 exit at the track and qualified only 18^th, but moved up to 15^th on the final grid.

ALEX ALBON’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇦🇷 Franco COLAPINTO

This will be Franco Colapinto’s first appearance at the United States Grand Prix.

🇯🇵 Yuki TSUNODA

Yuki Tsunoda holds a 100% points-scoring record at the United States Grand Prix. He recorded his best result to date at COTA in 2023, with eighth place. He finished ninth on his first outing at the track in 2021 and tenth in 2022.

His maiden season is the only time that Tsunoda has reached Q3 at Circuit of The Americas but he is yet to record a Q1 exit here, with 15^th place in 2022 being his worst qualifying result to date in Texas. 2023 was the first time he out-qualified a team-mate at the Austin venue. Tsunoda has gained at least one position from where he started in all three of his COTA races to date.

YUKI TSUNODA’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇳🇿 Liam LAWSON

Liam Lawson returns to Formula 1 at the 2024 United States Grand Prix, taking Daniel Ricciardo’s seat for the rest of the season. This will be Lawson’s first appearance since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix – and his first ever appearance at COTA.

🇫🇮 Valtteri BOTTAS

Valtteri Bottas took his first United States Grand Prix win, and his first podium finish at the event, in 2019.

Circuit of The Americas is the track at which Bottas first scored points in Formula 1, finishing eighth in 2013. He has finished fifth here three times. 2015 and 2022 are the only years in which Bottas has failed to reach the chequered flag here, while 16^th place in 2016 and 12^th place in 2023 are his only other non-points-scoring outings at the track.

Bottas has reached Q3 on all but two occasions at the United States Grand Prix. He exited in Q2 in both 2015 and 2023, the latter being his worst qualifying result to date at the track with 13^th place. Bottas took pole for the first time at the circuit in 2019. It is his only front row start at the track, though he has started third on three occasions.

2013, 2021 and 2023 are the only years in which Bottas has finished the United States Grand Prix in a better position than where he started from.

VALTTERI BOTTAS’ UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇨🇳 ZHOU Guanyu

Zhou Guanyu reached Q2 on his United States Grand Prix debut in 2022. He qualified in 14^th but dropped to 18^th on the final grid following a grid penalty. Zhou moved up six positions in the race, finishing 12^th.

In 2023, Zhou out-qualified his team-mate and lined up 12^th on the grid, recording a second consecutive Q2 exit at the track. He lost one position over the course of the race and finished 13^th.

ZHOU GUANYU’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇩🇰 Kevin MAGNUSSEN

In 2022, Kevin Magnussen scored at the United States Grand Prix for the first time since his first appearance at COTA in 2014. He finished ninth last year, one place behind his best result at the track of eighth in 2014. 2019 is the only year that Magnussen has failed to reach the chequered flag in Texas, though he was disqualified from the race in 2018.

2014 is the only year Magnussen has qualified in the top ten at the track. In 2022, he recorded his third Q1 exit at the track, while he recorded his third Q2 exit here in 2023. He has out-qualified his team-mate in each of his last three visits to the track, though he was out-qualified on all four appearances prior to 2019.

KEVIN MAGNUSSEN’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY

🇩🇪 Nico HULKENBERG

Nico Hulkenberg raced in all of the first eight races at Circuit of The Americas, recording a best result of sixth place in 2013 and 2018. He has scored on four of his nine appearances. His 11^th place finish in 2023 was the first time he finished the race without scoring points, while all of his other four outings all resulted in retirements.

Hulkenberg has reached Q3 at the United States Grand Prix on five occasions and was eliminated in Q2 in 2014, 2017 and 2019. He recorded his first Q1 exit at the track in 2023, with 16^th place being his first qualification outside of the top 15 at COTA. 18^th on the grid in 2017 and a pit lane start in 2023 are the only times he has not started within the top 13 grid slots. His best qualifying result here is fourth place, recorded with Sauber in 2013.

His last three appearances here – in 2018, 2019 and 2023 – are the only times that Hulkenberg has finished the United States Grand Prix in a better position than where he started. He gained seven positions in 2023.

NICO HULKENBERG’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY