Formula 1’s popularity has boomed in the United States in recent years. Last year’s race weekend at Circuit of The Americas attracted well over 400,000 spectators. The 2025 United States Grand Prix is set to take place on October 19.
1144th F1 GRAND PRIX | 54th UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX | 13th GRAND PRIX AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
2024 POLESITTER: LANDO NORRIS | 2024 WINNER: CHARLES LECLERC
2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday October 17
Free Practice 1 – 12:30pm Local Time / 6:30pm UK Time
Sprint Qualifying – 4:30pm Local Time / 10:30pm UK Time
Saturday October 18
Sprint – 12:00pm Local Time / 6:00pm UK Time
Qualifying – 4:00pm Local Time / 10:00pm UK Time
Sunday October 19
The 2025 United States Grand Prix – 2:00pm Local Time / 8:00pm UK Time
2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
Lewis Hamilton’s record of five wins at Circuit of The Americas cannot be beaten at the 2025 United States Grand Prix. Hamilton could extend the record to six, while Max Verstappen could become the second driver to have won as many as four races here. Charles Leclerc could become the third repeat winner at the track, while any other driver winning would make them the seventh different driver to take victory here.
Mercedes lead the way for most team victories at Circuit of The Americas, with five. Their record could be equalled in the 2025 United States Grand Prix by Red Bull.
Mercedes and Red Bull are currently tied for the most podium finishes at COTA, with 12 apiece. Either team could set a new outright record in the 2025 United States Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton currently holds the record for most pole positions at Circuit of The Americas, with three. He could extend the record to four this weekend. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc or Lando Norris could become the fourth driver to take multiple poles at the track.
A pole position for Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 United States Grand Prix would see him overtake Michael Schumacher for the most pole positions in United States Grand Prix history. Schumacher took four poles at the event in total, when it was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
Changes to the circuit since last year’s race will be posted here.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
It’s yet to be announced how many DRS zones there will be at the 2025 United States Grand Prix. Last year, there were two DRS zones. Activations zones are usually on the circuit’s two longest straights.
COTA TRACK GUIDE
Circuit of The Americas has been the permanent home of the United States Grand Prix since the event returned to the calendar in 2012. The Texas track is a modern venue with an old school character, and takes inspiration from iconic circuits.
While the history of a Grand Prix in America harks all the way back to the early Twentieth Century, Formula 1’s presence in the country has not always been so permanent. Thus far, there have been ten different tracks which have hosted Formula 1 races in the United States. Before Texas, the event was held at Indianapolis in the early years of the new millennium. After a farcical event in 2005 which saw only six cars take the start, and a declining reputation of F1 in America, Indianapolis didn’t renew their contract when it came to an end in 2007 and F1’s tenure in America thus ended.
The idea of reviving the U.S. Grand Prix was first seriously proposed in July 2010. At a press conference, Tavo Hellmund announced plans to build the first purpose-built F1 track in the country, 25 minutes south east of Austin.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers ahead of the on-track action. The drivers appearing in the press conference for this race are yet to be announced.
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams in a separate press conference over the race weekend. The team members appearing in the press conference are yet to be announced.
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Rui Marques will be the race director at the 2025 United States Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is yet to be announced.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli have not yet announced which tyre compounds will be used at the 2025 United States Grand Prix. The C2, C3 and C4 compounds were used in 2024.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Leclerc led home Ferrari’s first American 1-2 in 18 years at the 2024 United States Grand Prix, while a controversial penalty put Verstappen on the podium ahead of Norris.
After a four-week mid-season break, F1 returned at Circuit of The Americas which was to host a Sprint weekend for the second season in a row. In Sprint Qualifying, Max Verstappen secured a pole position for the first time in four months, while Oscar Piastri was eliminated in the first stage.
George Russell – who started on the front row for the Sprint – could not challenge Verstappen at the start of the Saturday race but Lando Norris, fourth on the grid, made his way to second place through the opening corners. Russell soon lost another position, after a side-by-side battle with Charles Leclerc.
On Lap 2, the Ferrari pair began to battle wheel to wheel in a tussle which lasted three laps – Carlos Sainz eventually getting ahead of Leclerc. On Lap 9 – at the halfway point – it was Sainz’s turn to pass Russell. While Norris could not bring the gap to Verstappen down any further, the Ferraris closed in on the McLaren. On the final lap, Norris locked up into Turn 1, allowing Sainz to get ahead. The order would not change any further, with Verstappen securing his first win since the Spanish Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB and impressed – despite being labelled an “idiot” by an irate Fernando Alonso during the Sprint. He set the third fastest time in Q1 when Grand Prix qualifying began on Saturday afternoon. Lewis Hamilton was out in Q1 after having a lap time deleted, while team-mate George Russell crashed out in Q3 and had to start from the pit lane as a result.
Russell’s crash helped Norris secure his fourth pole in five races, with Verstappen having been improving his time prior to the yellow flags. Norris could not hold the lead into Turn 1, however. Pushed out by Verstappen, the Red Bull’s move opened the door for Leclerc to steam past from fourth to first at the opening corner, while Norris dropped down to fourth.
Lewis Hamilton gained five positions on the opening lap but his work was undone on Lap 2, when he spun out of the race, in the same location that his team-mate crashed in qualifying, bringing out the Safety Car. The restart passed without incident as Lawson and Alonso continued their on-track battle from the day before.
Russell, making progress from his pit lane start, received a 5-second penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas off track, while the Finn’s Sauber team-mate Zhou Guanyu had a spin at Turn 1.
Sainz pitted on Lap 22, while Verstappen pitted on Lap 26 and Leclerc was in the lap after. Sainz undercut Verstappen to take net second position. All of the pit stops left Norris to lead, who extended his stint in an attempt to overcut Verstappen. The strategy did not quite play out, but Norris had the opportunity to pass the Red Bull on track in the closing stages.
After a number of attempts, Norris made a move on Verstappen on Lap 52. Norris was deemed to have left the track and gained an advantage and was therefore given a five-second penalty. The penalty was applied on the final lap, leaving Norris no chance to undo the damage.
Leclerc sailed to victory, with Sainz securing Ferrari’s first 1-2 result in the United States in 18 years. Finishing third as a result of Norris’ penalty, Verstappen extended his championship lead. Russell finished sixth after his start from the pit lane, while F1 newbies Lawson and Franco Colapinto both picked up points.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP AT THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2025 United States Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting COTA in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.