1120th F1 GRAND PRIX | 53rd UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX | 12th GRAND PRIX AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
2023 POLESITTER: CHARLES LECLERC | 2023 WINNER: MAX VERSTAPPEN
Formula 1’s popularity has boomed in the United States in recent years. Last year’s race at Circuit of The Americas attracted 432,000 spectators. The 2024 United States Grand Prix is set to take place on October 18-20.
2024 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday October 18
Free Practice 1 – 12:30pm Local Time / 6:30pm UK Time
Sprint Qualifying – 4:30pm Local Time / 10:30pm UK Time
Saturday October 19
Sprint – 1:00pm Local Time / 7:00pm UK Time
Qualifying – 5:00pm Local Time / 11:00pm UK Time
Sunday October 20
The 2024 United States Grand Prix – 2:00pm Local Time / 8:00pm UK Time
2024 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez become the first drivers to make 12 appearances at COTA having never missed a race at the track since it joined the F1 calendar in 2012.
Victory for Max Verstappen at the 2024 United States Grand Prix would make him the first driver to record four consecutive wins at COTA.
Mercedes’ record of five victories at Circuit of The Americas could be equalled at the 2024 United States Grand Prix by Red Bull.
If either Red Bull driver wins the 2024 United States Grand Prix, Red Bull would equal Mercedes’ record for the most successive team wins at COTA. Mercedes won four races in a row in Texas between 2014 and 2017.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2024 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
Since last year, parts of the track have been resurfaced – namely from Turn 16 to Turn 3 and from Turn 9 to Turn 12. There are a number of new kerbs and new TecPro barriers, asphalt verges have been shortened to 1.5m at various turns and the concrete walls between Turns 11 and 12 have been realigned.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2024 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Like in previous years, there will be two DRS zones at the 2024 United States Grand Prix. Activations zones are 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 2024 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:
Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Liam Lawson (RB)
Alex Albon (Williams)
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:
Oliver Oakes (Alpine)
Zak Brown (McLaren)
Laurent Mekies (RB)
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2024 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Niels Wittich will be the race director at the 2024 United States Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2024 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 Derek Warwick.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2024 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli will supply the C2, C3 and C4 tyre compounds at the 2024 United States Grand Prix. The C2, C3 and C4 compounds were also used in 2023.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Norris led the opening stages on Sunday on his 100th Grand Prix appearance, but Verstappen claimed victory in both races over the 2023 United States Grand Prix weekend.
Daniel Ricciardo returned to the AlphaTauri cockpit for the 2023 United States Grand Prix having recovered from the hand injury he sustained at Zandvoort earlier in the year. With this being a Sprint weekend, there was just one hour of practice before qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix began.
Charles Leclerc secured Friday’s pole position in a close four-team fight between Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren. Max Verstappen had set a time good enough for pole but the lap was deleted due to him exceeding track limits.
It was close again in Saturday’s Sprint Shootout, where Verstappen secured the front spot, with Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris all less than 0.101 seconds slower. Leclerc challenged Verstappen into Turn 1 at the start of the Sprint but didn’t make the move stick, which allowed Hamilton to take his second place.
All drivers had started on the medium tyres except Carlos Sainz, who made up one position to run fourth on his soft tyres after passing Lando Norris by the end of Lap 1. By Lap 10, the McLaren had found its way back past the Ferrari and Sainz lost more places to Sergio Perez’s Red Bull on the next lap and to George Russell on Lap 14.
Lance Stroll retired from the Sprint in what was turning out to be a disappointing weekend for Aston Martin. Verstappen secured victory in the Sprint by just under ten seconds, finishing ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc.
On Sunday, Leclerc and Norris lined up on the front row and it was the McLaren which led after Turn 1 following a speedy start. Leclerc then came under pressure from Ferrari team-mate Sainz later around the lap but managed to stay ahead. By Lap 6, Hamilton found his way by Leclerc for second place.
Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri were early retirements in the Grand Prix, while Verstappen – who had started sixth – began his rise through the field, passing both Ferraris. Verstappen pitted at the end of Lap 17 and when Hamilton pitted on Lap 21, the Red Bull was ahead on track with only Norris ahead of him. By Lap 28, Verstappen was on the McLaren’s tail and made his move at Turn 12.
It was expected that Norris would try to make a one-stop strategy work but he pitted for the second time at the end of Lap 34. Verstappen pitted two laps later, coming out just a few seconds ahead of Norris. Unable to make a one-stop work, new leader Hamilton then pitted on Lap 39, while on-track Verstappen passed Leclerc to resume the lead.
From there, Verstappen led all the remaining laps and claimed yet another win in the 2023 season and the 50th of his career. Hamilton overtook Norris for second place in a close fight between the British duo.
After the race, however, both Hamilton and Leclerc – who had finished sixth – were disqualified from the race due to excessive wear on their rear skid blocks. It promoted Sainz onto the podium, while both Williams were promoted into the points. That made Logan Sargeant the first American driver to score a point in over 30 years, doing so on home soil.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP AT THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2024 United States Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting COTA in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.