Hamilton has won five of the 12 races at COTA, while Norris is the only current driver who has 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 all three seasons from 2021 to 2023 and has finished on the podium on all of his last six 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.
His fourth place in 2017 and his impressive fourth with Toro Rosso in 2015 are the only times Verstappen has finished a race at COTA outside of the podium positions. 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 18th 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 sixth in the 2023 race, one day after he had won the Sprint event from pole position. He also won the 2024 Sprint race at the track.
Finishing third having started second, the 2024 United States Grand Prix was the first race at COTA in which Verstappen lost a position from where he started.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2015 |
WON |
10 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
2016 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
DNF |
– |
2017 |
LOST |
6 |
16 |
4 |
12 |
2018 |
LOST |
15 |
18 |
2 |
16 |
2019 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
2021 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2022 |
WON |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2023 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
1 |
5 |
2024 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
3 |
-1 |
Yuki TSUNODA
Liam Lawson returned to Formula 1 at the 2024 United States Grand Prix, replacing Daniel Ricciardo at RB. After exiting in SQ2 for the Sprint, Lawson lost a position and finished the Saturday race 16th. He again qualified 15th for the Grand Prix itself but was demoted to the back row of the grid for exceeding the quote of power unit elements. He made up ten positions to finish ninth – marking his first points-scoring finish since the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
LIAM LAWSON’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2024 |
LOST |
15 |
19 |
9 |
10 |
Lando NORRIS
Lando Norris has scored points on all five 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 the 2023 race and led five in 2024, where he was set for another podium finish until picking up a time penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen off-track. Nevertheless, his fourth place finish saw Norris finish in the top eight for a fifth consecutive visit to COTA.
Norris qualified on the front row at the United States Grand Prix for the first time in 2023 and secured pole position in 2024. He has reached Q3 on all five 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 and 2024.
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
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
2021 |
LOST |
8 |
7 |
8 |
-1 |
2022 |
WON |
8 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
2023 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2024 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
4 |
-3 |
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 scored in the United States Grand Prix for the first time in 2024, finishing fifth. He qualified six tenths off his pole-sitting team-mate and finished the race in the same position as he started. It followed a Sprint race to forget for Piastri, for which he was eliminated in SQ1 after exceeding track limits and picked up a penalty for forcing Pierre Gasly off track, ultimately finishing tenth.
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
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
LOST |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
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 three of the 12 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, in 2023, when he finished second on the road before being disqualified after his car failed post race checks and in 2024, when he crashed out of the race on the opening lap.
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 had never qualified outside of the top five at COTA until 2024, when he exited in Q1 and qualified on the back row.
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 and 2024 the only seasons that he hasn’t led a lap of the race here.
Hamilton was the only driver to have completed every racing lap which had been held at Circuit of The Americas since 2012 until crashing out on Lap 1 in 2024.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2012 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2013 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
2014 |
LOST |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2015 |
LOST |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2016 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2017 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2018 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
3 |
-2 |
2019 |
LOST |
5 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
2021 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2022 |
WON |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2023 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
DSQ |
– |
2024 |
LOST |
19 |
17 |
DNF |
– |
Charles LECLERC
Charles Leclerc became COTA’s latest new winner at the 2024 United States Grand Prix, leading home a Ferrari 1-2. Leclerc’s win followed disappointment in 2023, where he finished sixth before being disqualified from the race as a result of post race checks showing excessive wear on his Ferrari’s rear skid blocks.
His retirement on his first appearance in 2018 is the only other time in his six appearance that Leclerc has failed to score – or finish in the top four – at COTA. After consecutive fourth place finishes in 2019 and 2021, he recorded his first podium finish at the track in 2022, finishing in third place.
Leclerc has reached the final part of qualifying on all six appearances at the circuit, After recording his first front row qualification at the track in 2022, – which became 12th on the grid due to a grid penalty – he recorded his first pole position at the United States Grand Prix in 2023. He qualified fourth in 2024, making up three positions to win the race. 2022 – when he gained nine places – is the only other time he has finished the United States Grand Prix in a better position than where he started.
CHARLES LECLERC’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2018 |
WON |
13 |
19 |
DNF |
– |
2019 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
4 |
6 |
2021 |
WON |
9 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
2022 |
LOST |
2 |
12 |
3 |
9 |
2023 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
DSQ |
– |
2024 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
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 and scored more points in 2024, this time finishing sixth.
From his five appearances, Russell has recorded one Q1 elimination, one Q2 exit and a three 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. 2022 and 2023 are the only seasons so far in which Russell has been out-qualified by a team-mate at COTA. He started from the pit lane in 2024 after crashing out in Q3.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
WON |
18 |
18 |
17 |
1 |
2021 |
WON |
15 |
20 |
14 |
6 |
2022 |
LOST |
6 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
2023 |
LOST |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2024 |
WON |
6 |
PIT |
6 |
14 |
Kimi ANTONELLI
Kimi Antonelli has not raced at Circuit of The Americas before.
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 eight appearances here, Alonso has reached Q3 only three times. 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 first stage of qualifying.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2012 |
LOST |
9 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
2013 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2014 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
2015 |
WON |
11 |
9 |
11 |
-2 |
2016 |
WON |
12 |
12 |
5 |
7 |
2017 |
WON |
9 |
8 |
DNF |
– |
2018 |
WON |
16 |
13 |
DNF |
– |
2021 |
LOST |
14 |
19 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
WON |
9 |
14 |
7 |
7 |
2023 |
WON |
17 |
PIT |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
WON |
8 |
7 |
13 |
-6 |
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
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2017 |
LOST |
17 |
15 |
11 |
4 |
2018 |
WON |
17 |
15 |
14 |
1 |
2019 |
WON |
14 |
14 |
13 |
1 |
2021 |
LOST |
16 |
13 |
12 |
1 |
2022 |
WON |
7 |
5 |
DNF |
– |
2023 |
LOST |
19 |
PIT |
7 |
13 |
2024 |
LOST |
14 |
13 |
15 |
-2 |
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 12th again in 2024. Despite only scoring once, 2021 is the only time in his six visits that he has not crossed the finish line.
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. He qualified seventh once again last year.
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 six 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
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2018 |
WON |
13 |
19 |
12 |
7 |
2019 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
16 |
-6 |
2021 |
WON |
9 |
8 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
WON |
13 |
11 |
14 |
-3 |
2023 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
2024 |
WON |
7 |
6 |
12 |
-6 |
Jack DOOHAN
Jack Doohan has never previously raced at Circuit of The Americas.
Esteban OCON
From his seven 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, came home 11th in 2022 and finished a lowly 18th in 2024.
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.
Ocon has been out-qualified by his team-mate at the track in all of the last three seasons, having been out-qualified only once before then. He has recorded Q1 exits here in 2016 and 2022.
ESTEBAN OCON’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2016 |
LOST |
22 |
22 |
18 |
4 |
2017 |
WON |
7 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
2018 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
DSQ |
– |
2021 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
LOST |
18 |
PIT |
11 |
7 |
2023 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
LOST |
13 |
12 |
18 |
-6 |
Ollie BEARMAN
Ollie Bearman has not previously raced at Circuit of The Americas.
Liam LAWSON
Yuki Tsunoda held a 100% points-scoring record at the United States Grand Prix until 2024. Despite not scoring on his most recent appearance, Tsunoda did at least keep his finishing streak alive, coming home in 14th place.
Tsunoda 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 15th 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. He out-qualified his team-mate again in 2024, qualifying in 11th for the second year in a row.
YUKI TSUNODA’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
9 |
1 |
2022 |
LOST |
15 |
19 |
10 |
9 |
2023 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
8 |
3 |
2024 |
WON |
11 |
10 |
14 |
-4 |
Isack HADJAR
Isack Hadjar has never previously raced at Circuit of The Americas.
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. Another podium followed in 2024 as Sainz recorded his best result to date at the track, finishing as runner-up to his team-mate.
Sainz’s best result at COTA before his podium finishes 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. He has started on the front two rows of the grid in all of the last three seasons.
2019 marked the first time that Sainz 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
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2015 |
LOST |
20 |
20 |
7 |
13 |
2016 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
2017 |
– |
8 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
2018 |
LOST |
11 |
11 |
7 |
4 |
2019 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
8 |
-1 |
2021 |
LOST |
6 |
5 |
7 |
-2 |
2022 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
DNF |
– |
2023 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
2024 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
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 11th place. He moved up to eighth place on the final grid, but lost positions in the Grand Prix and finished 13th.
Albon maintained his 100% finish rate at the track in 2023 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 18th, but moved up to 15th on the final grid.
Another finish followed in 2024 but there were no points on offer this time, as Albon finished only 16th. Despite exiting in Q1 for the second year in a row, Albon out-qualified his team-mate at COTA for the third year in succession.
ALEX ALBON’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
LOST |
6 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2022 |
WON |
11 |
8 |
13 |
-5 |
2023 |
WON |
18 |
15 |
9 |
6 |
2024 |
WON |
16 |
14 |
16 |
-2 |
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 five of his ten appearances, with eighth place in 2024 marking his first points-scoring race here since 2019.
Hulkenberg’s 11th 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 – all four coming in consecutive years from 2014 to 2017.
Hulkenberg has reached Q3 at the United States Grand Prix on five occasions and was eliminated in Q2 in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2024. He recorded his first Q1 exit at the track in 2023, with 16th place being his first qualification outside of the top 15 at COTA. 18th 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 four appearances here are the only times that Hulkenberg has finished the United States Grand Prix in a better position than where he started. He gained a best of seven positions in 2023.
NICO HULKENBERG’S UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2012 |
WON |
8 |
6 |
8 |
-2 |
2013 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
6 |
-2 |
2014 |
LOST |
13 |
13 |
DNF |
– |
2015 |
LOST |
7 |
6 |
DNF |
– |
2016 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
DNF |
– |
2017 |
– |
15 |
18 |
DNF |
– |
2018 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
2019 |
LOST |
11 |
11 |
9 |
2 |
2023 |
LOST |
16 |
PIT |
11 |
7 |
2024 |
LOST |
12 |
11 |
8 |
3 |
Gabriel BORTOLETO
This will be Gabriel Bortoleto’s first appearance at Circuit of The Americas.
