Formula 1 is back! From October 20th to October 22nd, people from all over the world will be flying into Austin and heading to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). This will be the sixth year of having the Formula 1 (F1) race at the Circuit of the Americas. COTA became the only currently operating F1 track in the United States when it opened in 2012. The US last hosted a Grand Prix in 2007 in Indiana, but for the 5 years until COTA was built, the closest F1 race was in Montreal or Mexico City. To kick off the event, Will Buxton will host The Buxton Bash 2017 at Clearport and all donations will benefit the Susan G Komen Austin non-profit. F1 has more than just car racing, so be sure to head out to COTA to experience any of the F1 events.
This year will include fan forums, an air display, a driver’s parade, the Masters Historic Racing where you can watch vintage F1 cars race, FIA Formula 4 racing, a starting grid presentation by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, the fan track invasion to walk on the track after the race, and the Formula 1 race itself. The American Sound Track fueled by Exxon and Mobil stations will also be showcasing more than 30 Texas music acts around the grounds. If you are unfamiliar with F1 racing, Friday will be mostly practice sessions watching cars warm up and testing on the track, Saturday will be qualifying to see who lines up in what grid position, and the actual F1 competition is Sunday afternoon at 2PM.
There will also be a live concert performance on the Super Stage Festival Lawn after the races have ended each day. Justin Timberlake will be headlining Saturday, and Stevie Wonder will take stage on Sunday. The Saturday and Sunday night performances are general admission events, so be sure to purchase your tickets based on the location where you would like to watch the racing. After the end of track activity on Saturday and Sunday, you can head down to the Festival Lawn area for the concert. For more information about the overall schedule, purchasing tickets, or how to get to and from the track each day, be sure to look over Circuit of the Americas (COTA) website.