NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 United States Grand Prix

Formula 1 returns to action this weekend with the United States Grand Prix. Ahead of the event at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas, Need to Know is your all-in-one guide with stats, trivia, insight and much more. You can also see how fans have voted using our F1 Play predictor game.

With the Sprint format in play, FP1 and Sprint Qualifying will take place on Friday, October 18, followed by the Sprint and Qualifying on Saturday, October 19 and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, October 20.

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Vital statistics

• First Grand Prix – 1959 (Sebring)
• Track Length – 5.513km
• Lap record – 1m 36.169s, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2019
• Most pole positions – Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (4)
• Most wins – Lewis Hamilton (6)
• Trivia – Austin set a new F1 record in 2022 with a three-day attendance of around 440,000 fans
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 250 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2023 – 78
• Safety Car probability – 14%
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 43%
• Pit stop time loss – 20.3 seconds

FAN VIEW: There are a quartet of contenders for pole position at the United States Grand Prix according to F1 Play gamers, namely the McLaren duo of Lando Norris (25.1%) and Oscar Piastri (24.7%), in addition to Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen (25.1%) and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (24.8%).

The driver’s verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: The Circuit of The Americas is a great new track that takes inspiration from parts of other legendary corners on the calendar.

The uphill Turn 1 is difficult at the race start as there’s loads of different lines that can be taken, then you sweep through the first sector, which is a bit like Silverstone, where you’re trying to find your rhythm.

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After that, it’s the long back straight and you’ve got to get your braking point right at the end of it…

Probably the hardest section on the circuit is Turn 13 through to Turn 15, which feels like an odd complex of corners behind the wheel. Turn 13 is conventional, but finding your line through to 15 is not easy, while that Turn 14 area puts a lot of load on the tyres.

You go through the quadruple right-hander after that, followed by Turn 19, which is a really nice corner – though track limits are an issue.

Finally, you stop for Turn 20, then it’s a short burst to the line, but drivers need to be careful not to light things up as it’s easy to break traction.

There are also plenty of overtaking opportunities during the race with DRS on the run to Turn 12 and Turn 1.

Last five United States GP pole-sitters

• 2023 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 2022 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2019 – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
• 2018 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

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Last five United States GP winners

• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2019 – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
• 2018 – Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

FAN VIEW: The same quartet make up the likely race winners according to F1 Play selections made so far – Norris (20.6%), Piastri (20.5%), Leclerc (20.1%) and Verstappen (19.8%) – with Leclerc’s Ferrari team mate Carlos Sainz (20.0%) set to make it a five-way fight for victory..

Tyre and strategy insight

“In terms of the forces exerted on the tyres, the loads at COTA are fairly evenly distributed between the front and rear axles and are more lateral than vertical,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview.

“Usually, degradation is thermal and is therefore linked to the ambient temperature which in Texas in October can fluctuate considerably from one day to the next.

READ MORE: What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 United States Grand Prix?

“In terms of strategy, one will need to wait and see how this might be affected by the new surface, keeping in mind that Saturday’s Sprint should provide plenty of useful data.

“In last year’s short race, the medium was chosen by the majority of drivers, although some risked using the soft, which was then only used in the final stages of the following day’s Grand Prix in an attempt to secure the additional point for setting the fastest race lap.

“Normally, a two-stop has always been the quickest here, especially as a one-stop involves a lot of careful degradation management, to the obvious detriment of performance.

“In 2023, the most used compound was the C3, which was more effective than the C2, and now it will be interesting to see if the new asphalt could bring the hard back into play.”

FAN VIEW: With selections shared among five drivers for the race victory, the same faces appear in the most likely make-up for the podium. Those F1 Play gamers looking outside the top five like the chances of Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.

Current form

After two years of Max Verstappen and Red Bull wrapping up the drivers’ and constructors’ championships early, the race for both world titles is very much on as a remarkable 2024 season reaches its climax.

McLaren have impressively turned the tables on Red Bull to lead the way by 41 points in their push for a first teams’ title since 1998, while Lando Norris is doing his best to catch Verstappen and now sits 52 points back.

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Many in the paddock view McLaren as the benchmark heading into the final six rounds, with the Woking outfit winning four of the last six races and finishing on the podium at every Grand Prix since Japan back in April.

While the MCL38 – via its effective updates – has looked comfortable at most tracks, the same cannot be said for Red Bull’s RB20, which took a turn for the worse via mid-season developments and is on a win-less run stretching back to June’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Some reactive changes appear to have helped, and more developments are due on the Red Bull in Austin this weekend, but will it be enough to fight back against McLaren and end the year as they started it with the fastest package?

McLaren and Red Bull are not the only teams in the title mix, though, with an up and down Ferrari now only 34 points behind the reigning world champions and Charles Leclerc sitting the same margin behind Norris in the drivers’ battle.

Mercedes are another squad to have won races this season and will bring upgrades of their own to the Circuit of The Americas, with the aim of returning to a summer peak that brought wins in Austria, Britain and Belgium.

That’s not to mention scraps elsewhere, as RB try to keep Haas at bay for P6 in the constructors’, a reinvigorated Williams do their best to get involved, and a whole host of driver head-to-heads play out.

A fascinating situation, then, ahead of two decisive triple-headers...

Iconic moment

The inaugural Austin race back in 2012 was an exhilarating watch, as Lewis Hamilton chased down Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in his McLaren. With Vettel having lost momentum behind a backmarker, Hamilton sensed his opportunity to pounce – and duly took his chance.

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Watch the action as it unfolded in the video player below...

Elsewhere in Austin

There’s more activity taking place this weekend as part of the wider Sustainability Strategy that Formula 1 introduced in 2019, which includes the goal of being Net Zero by 2030, leaving a legacy of positive change and creating a more diverse sport that reflects the world in which we race.

💭 Inspiring the next generation

The Circuit of The Americas has teamed up with the Make It Center from Austin Community College, which introduces students to advanced manufacturing careers. Alongside local school districts and Mission 44, 50 local students will get an unforgettable experience with exclusive track access, including tours of the Paddock, Pirelli’s operational area and the Mercedes garage.

The initiative builds on the “F1 Frenzy” program between COTA and the Make It Center, in which students discover the vital role STEM plays in the motorsports industry through hands-on activities like designing, 3D printing, and assembling F1 cars.

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🏁 Community karting STEM experiences

Since 2022, COTA has run an initiative for students from Del Valle High School for an immersive eight-week karting experience, where students can get to grips with the essentials of engine, tyre and oil changes, and take a ride around the COTA go-karting circuit.

💚 Greener ways to reach the race

COTA’s Park and Ride programme offers round-trip shuttles from Austin, using a dedicated bus lane and a front gate drop-off and pick-up. The shuttle services help ease traffic congestion and can reduce emissions compared to individual car use. COTA also encourages on-site camping accommodation for fans attending the Grand Prix weekend, reducing the need for daily travel to and from the circuit.