AUSTIN—The ruckus of Formula One fans within the grandstands at Circuit of the Americas threatened to overpower the roar of the cars as they readied for the start of the 2022 U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday,
As the lights went out, the cars sped off, tight battles for positions forming as the 20 drivers barreled up a massive hill to Turn 1. A massive American flag loomed overhead as George Russell spun Carlos Sainz, groans echoing from spectators as the Ferrari driver’s day came to an end. Given the environment around the 3.4-mile track, it’s hard to imagine that the drivers’ championship was decided the prior race in Japan.
A record-breaking 440,000 fans flooded the complex throughout the four-day weekend, marking the highest attendance this season—The Australian Grand Prix was the closest in 2022 with 420,000 spectators, and while the race day attendance numbers have not been confirmed yet at COTA, it’s likely to have exceeded Silverstone’s 142,000. The likes of Ed Sheeran, Serena Williams, Shaq and Brad Pitt (who is starring in an upcoming F1-themed movie) were among the star-studded names in the COTA paddock this weekend.
