Interesting facts - American GP
The United States of America plays host to this weekend’s round of the 2017 Formula One Championship. The American GP is held on the 5.515km long COTA track which mimics with its layout tracks like Istanbul, Silverstone, Hockenheim and Interlagos.
This will be the 39th F1 United States Grand Prix and the sixth to be held at the Circuit of the Americas, the race having been hosted at the Austin circuit since 2012. The race has also been held at Sebring (1959), Riverside (1960), Watkins Glen (1961-80), Phoenix (1989-1991), and at Indianapolis (2000- 2007).
The maximum speed reached on the circuit by an Formula One car is 314kph (195.11 mph)
The most successful Formula One driver and team to have raced at COTA are Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes AMG Petronas with 4 and 3 wins respectively. Sebastian Vettel has one victory to his name. No other driver has won a GP yet on the ultrafast American GP circuit.
Over 135,000 beers are sold at the average USGP race weekend alongside more than 12,000 cheeseburgers .
America has always been a though nut to crack for Formula One because of the own racing series of the huge continent. However, wide campaign actions have attracted many spectators since the return of the leading motorsport series of the world to the United States. Just under a million fans - 976,417 - have come to the Formula One USGP since the first race in 2012.
The organizers of the American GP try to create a big event over the course of the race weekends. Part of that attempt is the concerts of world-famous singers and bands. Some of the biggest stars in music including Taylor Swift, Usher, Flo Rida, Pit Bull, Live, Public Enemy, Kid Rock & Elton John have performed at COTA during the USGP. 2017 will see Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder perform at the USGP. The qualifying session was postponed by two hours to find the best timing for the concert of Justin Timberlake.
There are two DRS zones . The detection point of the first will be 150m after Turn 10, with the activation point 320m after Turn 11. The second zone’s detection point will be 65m after Turn 18, with the activation point 80m after Turn 20, on the start/ finish straight.
Brendon Hartley makes his grand prix debut this weekend for Toro Rosso. The 27-year-old will be the first New Zealander to race in Formula One since Mike Thackwell at the 1984 Canadian Grand Prix. The New Zealender’s debut came by surprise after it was decided that Pierry Gasly misses the American GP to race in Japan in the Japanese Super Formula Series. The Frenchman did not have luck because he lost out by half a point in the famed Japanese racing series after the two races were cancelled due to torrential rain.
No edition of the US GP at COTA has been won from further back than the front row of the grid.
{Ferrari} is the most successful constructor at the United States Grand Prix, with nine victories. The Italian team scored three wins at Watkins Glen (1975, ’78, ’79) and six at Indianapolis.
Five drivers have scored a maiden F1 win at the US Grand Prix. Bruce McLaren won for the first time in 1959 at Sebring, while at Watkins Glen there were first career wins for Innes Ireland in 1961, Jochen Rindt in 1969, Emerson Fittipaldi in 1970, and François Cevert in 1971.
