United States Grand Prix: Race Preview

Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix has had several different locations throughout its distinguished history but since 2012 the event has been held at the Circuit of The Americas. A purpose-built facility was constructed on the periphery of Texas’ vibrant capital, Austin, and the event has gone from strength to strength as Formula 1’s popularity grows in the United States, with a weekend attendance of 440,000 registered in 2022. It is one of three races on US soil for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, with the third Miami Grand Prix having been held earlier in May, and the sophomore Las Vegas Grand Prix scheduled for November 23.

The Circuit of The Americas has delivered thrills a plenty since it joined Formula 1’s roster in 2012 and its layout, which has been partially repaved for 2024, has been acclaimed by drivers. The opening corner, the Big Red hairpin, towers over the venue due to the steep rise from the start/finish line, before the circuit plunges into a sequence of high-speed esses, the design of which were inspired by sections of track at Silverstone and Suzuka. A long back straight facilitates overtaking opportunities that frequently continue through a technical sequence of corners that allow for multiple lines and side-by-side racing. A long-radius multi-apex right-hander leads into a couple of left-hand turns that complete the lap.



For the second successive season COTA will play host to F1 Sprint, the fourth of six outings in 2024 for the alternative race weekend format. COTA also begins a run of three events in three weekends, with trips to Mexico City and São Paulo following in quick succession, marking a crucial phase in the Constructors’ Championship battle.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team holds seventh position, on 31 points, just three behind RB, having scored points at each of the last three grands prix, a run that Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are aiming to continue as the record-breaking 2024 championship enters its final quarter.



Andrea De Zordo, Technical Director:

“In Austin we’re bringing our main update for the final part of the season which will mainly involve another step of development in the floor and bodywork. The target, as always, will be to improve aero load in order to make the car faster. It’s difficult to be making a big step in lap time, so we’re speaking about small numbers, but in the tight midfield fight everything is an important step, and we hope to deliver. This is a development and further evolution of our package, not something new although the car will look a bit different. 

“The Circuit of The Americas is quite a demanding track on cars, on tires and also for the driver as historically, it’s been a very bumpy track. Last year we didn’t score a point, but it was a decent race for us and I think it should be a good race for us again. We’re fighting for P6 and that’s a very nice feeling. We really need to put everything in we can to achieve that because it would be amazing for everyone at this team who’s put so much work into making this season a success.”



Nico Hulkenberg:

“The United States Grand Prix is definitely one of the highlight races of the year for us; we have a lot of American partners, and of course our home fans. It’s a race where the fans are very knowledgeable about F1 and it’s really motivating to see the support of more than 400,000 people during the weekend. We have another update to bring this race and it’s a Sprint weekend, so every lap will count out on track.”



Kevin Magnussen:

“I’m looking forward to our home race, obviously it’s a big race for us, and one where there's some extra keenness to do well. COTA is a great track and it has some of the biggest crowds of the year, it’s a massive event. We’ve had good and bad races there, but hopefully we should be pretty strong this year as it's a medium-downforce track, and that tends to suit us. I’ve had some good battles there in the past and I’m hoping to score points."