Every Formula 1 Circuit in the United States of America

Formula One racing has a surprisingly long history in the United States of America, dating back decades before the release of the 'Drive to Survive' documentary series that has led to an explosion in the sport's stateside popularity.

Here, we'll take you through the history of every American track to host an F1 race, from the first ones in the 1950s to the three that currently host F1 races.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Years: 1950-1960; 2000-2007 (19 races)
Length: 2.605 mi/4.192 km
Turns: 13
Location: Speedway, Indiana

F1 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have a complicated relationship, despite the site of the annual Indy 500 being one of the most hallowed grounds in world motorsport.

The Indy 500 was part of the F1 calendar in the 1950s, but few active F1 drivers ever competed in it. That's because it was a lot harder to move a car across an ocean back then, and in many years, it took place too close to the Dutch Grand Prix to make it feasible for a driver to compete in both.

And, at that point, the race was not an official Formula One Grand Prix despite its place on the F1 calendar.

Drivers in the Indy 500 would still earn F1 World Drivers' Championship points, so drivers like Bob Sweikert in 1955, Pat Flaherty in 1956 and Sam Hanks in 1957 earned top-10 finishes in their respective seasons' WDC standings thanks to the eight points earned for a race win during that time, despite not competing in any other F1 races.

While the era of the United States Grand Prix that took place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway featured more top-level international racing talent, those years were not without incident.

Michael Schumacher won the first two editions when the USGP returned to Indy in 2000, but in 2002, he slowed down late on the final lap, let teammate Rubens Barrichello catch up with him, and ultimately lost the race by a 0.011-second margin, the second-closest race finish in the sport's history.

Barrichello called his teammate "kind" for giving him the win, and fans and experts thought it was Schumacher's way of repaying his teammate for letting him pass and win the Austrian Grand Prix. Schumacher said he aimed to finish at the exact same time as his teammate.

Team principals across the grid did not like what Schumacher, that season's Drivers' Champion, did. Eddie Jordan, owner of the Jordan team, said that the drivers should have known a dead-heat finish was impossible thanks to the precision of racing technology. British American Racing's David Richards called the move "showmanship."

The next year, Schumacher won again while Barrichello had to retire on the second lap after colliding with Juan Pablo Montoya.

In 2004, Schumacher and Barrichello finished one-two yet again while two serious one-car accidents — the first involving Fernando Alonso and the second involving Ralf Schumacher — were caused by the failure of Michelin tires. No Michelin tires were used at the 2005 edition of the race, in which Schumacher and Barrichello finished one-two for the fourth and final time at the track.

The 2007 USGP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the final edition of the race at the track. Lewis Hamilton earned his second-career win in a one-two finish with McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso. After this race, F1 did not return to the United States for five years.

Sebring Raceway

Years: 1959 (1 race)
Length: 5.192 mi/8.356 km
Turns: 12
Location: Sebring, Florida

Sebring Raceway was the site of the first United States Grand Prix in 1959 — while the Indy 500 was an F1 race, it somehow did not count as a Grand Prix — and it never hosted the race again after that.

But, legendary names competed in the lone USGP hosted by Sebring. Those include Americans Phil Hill, Harry Schell and Bob Said, as well as international legends of the sport such as Stirling Moss, Jack Braham and Bruce McLaren, the founder of present-day F1 team McLaren.

Moss qualified on pole but had to retire due to a transmission issue. Only seven drivers finished the race, which was won by McLaren, who finished just sixth-tenths of a second ahead of Cooper-Climax teammate Maurice Trintignant.

Riverside International Raceway

Years: 1960 (1 race)
Length: 3.275 mi/5.271 km
Turns: 9
Location: Moreno Valley, California

The United States Grand Prix moved from Sebring Raceway to Riverside International Raceway for the 1960 edition. The Southern California course hosted legends such as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren, who all put in strong drives.

Moss qualified on pole for the second consecutive season, and unlike the previous year at Sebring, he finished — and won — the race. And, 16 of the 23 drivers to start the race finished it, a big improvement over the first installment of the USGP.

Watkins Glen International

Years: 1961-1980 (19 races)
Length: 3.374 mi/5.430 km
Turns: 10
Location: Watkins Glen, New York

Watkins Glen International, located in the Finger Lakes region of New York, has the longest tenure as host of the USGP, doing so from 1961 until 1980.

Drivers ranging from Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart to Niki Lauda and Gilles Villeneuve have won the Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. In 1965, 1970 and 1971, the course won the Grand Prix Drivers' Association award for the best-organized and best-staged race of the season.

Jack Brabham and his self-owned team, Brabham, clinched both the Constructors' and Drivers' Championship at the 1966 edition of the race.

Emerson Fittipaldi won the USGP at Watkins Glen in 1970, just his fourth-ever F1 race and his first-ever win.

The USGP left Watkins Glen after the 1980 season. In the final race, Williams driver Alan Jones won to cap off the team's Constructors' and his Drivers' Championship-winning season. F1 cars became too fast for the track, which did not have suitable runoff areas. The track didn't draw huge crowds, mostly because of its remote location.

Long Beach Street Circuit

Years: 1976-1983 (8 races)
Length: 2.035 mi/3.275 km
Turns: 18
Location: Long Beach, California

The Long Beach Street Circuit hosted the United States Grand Prix West from 1976 to 1983, making it the second country to host two grands prix in a season — Italy was the first.

This circuit was where Mario Andretti became the first American driver to win an F1 Grand Prix on US soil in 1977, the second year of this race's existence.

The race was reportedly well-received at the time, thanks to the beautiful setting, warm weather, and intensity of the street circuit, which featured a hairpin, some tight turns, and a few long straights on the two-mile track.

No drivers ever won the race twice in its eight-year lifespan, but legends including Gilles Villeneuve, Nelson Piquet, Alan Jones and Niki Lauda all picked up wins here.

Caesars Palace Grand Prix Circuit

Years: 1981-1982 (2 races)
Length: 2.268 mi/3.650 km
Turns: 14
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

The first grand prix to take place in Las Vegas — long before the street circuit version that began in 2023 — only lasted two years, and it took place in the parking lot of a casino on the Strip.

Longtime F1 executive Bernie Ecclestone spearheaded the effort to bring a race to Sin City, but it was not a huge hit with the drivers.

Some criticized its repetitive nature, as it had duplicated corners throughout the track, while Nelson Piquet took 15 minutes to recover from heat exhaustion after clinching the World Drivers' Championship following a fifth-place finish in the 1981 edition.

Alan Jones of Williams won the first edition in 1981, and Michele Alboreto of Tyrrell won the last edition in '82.

Detroit Street Circuit

Years: 1982-1988 (6 races)
Length: 2.500 mi/4.023 km
Turns: 20
Location: Detroit, Michigan

The United States currently hosts three Grands Prix on the F1 calendar — the USGP, Las Vegas Grand Prix, and Miami Grand Prix — but the first time it held a hat trick of races was back in 1982, when Vegas, Long Beach, and Detroit all hosted. That was the first time one country held three races in a season.

In the 1982 version, Renault's Alain Prost got off to a dominant start, taking pole position by three-tenths and setting the fastest lap on lap 45 of the 62-lap race. But, electronic injection problems occurred in his car, which saw him finish eight laps behind winner John Watson. American Eddie Cheever finished second.

Michele Alboreto of Tyrrell, Nelson Piquet of Brabham, and Keke Rosberg of Williams won the Detroit Grands Prix in '83, '84, and '85, respectively.

From '86 through its final edition in '88, Ayrton Senna dominated, winning all three — twice in a Lotus and once in a McLaren.

Dallas Fair Park

Years: 1984 (1 race)
Length: 2.424 mi/3.901 km
Turns: 14
Location: Dallas, Texas

The Dallas Grand Prix was a uniquely American experience. It took place once in 1984, saw temperatures reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, had issues with the pavement disintegrating in the heat, and was surrounded by rumors all weekend that the race would be canceled.

To top it all off, the 1985 edition was canceled due to financial problems and noise complaints from people who lived near the track.

Keke Rosberg of Williams won the lone edition of the race, finishing over 22 seconds ahead of second-place Rene Arnoux. Rosberg used a water-cooled skullcap to cope with the extreme heat.

Lotus' Nigel Mansell, who qualified in pole position, saw his car suffer a gearbox failure on the last lap. He created an enduring image by hopping out of the car to push it to the finish line, only to collapse from exhaustion in the heat before he could get to his destination.

Despite Ayrton Senna having to retire after 47 laps due to hitting the wall, he still showed his greatness and unmatched racing intelligence. Upset after his mistake, he swore to race engineer Pat Symonds that he didn't do anything differently from previous laps and that the barrier must have moved. Sure enough, after checking, the barrier had been moved by an earlier crash, less than half an inch into the track to disrupt Senna's drive.

Phoenix Street Circuit

Years: 1989-1991 (3 races)
Length: 2.312 mi/3.720 km
Turns: 12
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Similar to Dallas, only six out of 26 drivers finished the Phoenix-based United States Grand Prix in 1989. Alain Prost won that race, and Phoenix native Eddie Cheever finished third.

Ayrton Senna had finished 1.409 seconds ahead of Prost in qualifying to take pole position, but he retired after 44 laps due to an electrical issue. That race was held in June, and temperatures reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The 1990 edition was held in March, and temperatures only got up to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Gerhard Berger took pole in his McLaren, but Senna drove from fifth on the grid to a first-place finish ahead of Tyrrell's Jean Alesi and Williams' Thierry Boutsen.

The last edition was held in March of 1991, and Senna won once again, finishing ahead of Prost by 16 seconds.

Circuit of the Americas

Years: 2012-2019; 2021-present (12 races)
Length: 3.426 mi/5.513 km
Turns: 20
Location: Austin, Texas

Circuit of the Americas, also known as COTA, opened in 2012, a month before that year's United States Grand Prix. It was the first USGP since the Indianapolis Motor Speedway-hosted 2007 edition.

The race takes place over 56 laps, and the track features 20 turns, two long straights and a handful of chicanes to challenge drivers. Mario Andretti, the only American to win an F1 grand prix on American soil, drove the honorary first laps in the Lotus 79 he drove to win the 1978 World Drivers' Championship.

The first edition of the USGP at COTA drew 115,000 spectators for the race, and in 2022, a record 440,000 people turned up for the three days of the race weekend, setting a circuit record. That was due in part to the popularity of the documentary series 'Drive to Survive' in the United States.

Lewis Hamilton won the first-ever USGP at COTA, his first of five wins at the track and his only in a McLaren. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the next one, before Hamilton rattled off four straight wins in his championship-winning Mercedes cars.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen won it in 2018, which was the driver's last career F1 win. Valtteri Bottas won the 2019 edition in a Mercedes, the 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen won it three consecutive times before Ferrari's Charles Leclerc broke his streak in 2024.

Miami International Autodrome

Years: 2022-present (3 races)
Length: 3.363 mi/5.412 km
Turns: 18
Location: Miami Gardens, Florida

Just like the original grand prix in Las Vegas in the 1980s, the Miami Grand Prix also takes place in a stadium parking lot.

The South Florida race goes around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, but it does not count as a street race since it does not use any public roads and was designed in a way to limit disruption to nearby residents after objections during the development process.

The track features three long straights, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen set the record for the fastest official race lap with a time of 1:29.708 at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.

Verstappen won the first two editions of the race, with McLaren driver Lando Norris winning the third edition in 2024. The 2024 race weekend in Miami also included a Sprint, which Verstappen won by a margin of just over three seconds.

Las Vegas Strip Circuit

Years: 2023-present (2 races)
Length: 3.853 mi/6.210 km
Turns: 17
Location: Paradise, Nevada

The newest track in Formula 1, the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, features a 1.2-mile straight down Las Vegas Boulevard, taking drivers past some of the world's most famous hotels and casinos for some top-notch photo opportunities. It takes place late at night in November to avoid the desert heat.

The course is one of the fastest on the F1 calendar, as Mercedes driver George Russell's average lap speed of 144.2 miles per hour in qualifying for the 2024 edition was the seventh-fastest out of 24 races. Williams driver Franco Colapinto also recorded the fastest race speed in 2024 on the Strip circuit, reaching 221.5 MPH.

The inaugural 2023 edition was marred by a poorly-secured manhole cover on the track during the first practice session of the weekend, which hit the undercarriage of both Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon's cars, leading to a red flag in the first practice session, an extended second practice session, a grid penalty for Sainz as he had to take a third power unit, and a "fortune" in costs to fix the Ferrari, per team principal Fred Vasseur.

Since then, the race has gone smoothly.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the 2023 race, finishing 2.070 seconds ahead of second-place Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and 2.241 seconds ahead of his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.

In 2024, Mercedes finished one-two, with George Russell winning from pole position and Lewis Hamilton finishing second. Verstappen finished fifth and clinched the World Drivers' Championship because he finished one spot ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who was second in the standings.

Read the latest Formula One news on site.