As a long-time F1 fan, I finally was able to make it to my second Formula 1 Grand Prix during the 2023 season. My brother and I decided upon Austin, Texas and were excited for not only exploring the area, but witnessing the fastest drivers in the world take on the Circuit of the Americas.
My brother and father went to the United States Grand Prix back in 2015, but this was my first experience the Austin F1 race. Compared to my experience at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, I enjoyed my time at COTA a bit more.
This race brought out some of the greatest fans of racing that I got to interact with – some I talked to who had been going to the Grand Prix every year for years. It really was an incredible atmosphere that was all brought together by a love of racing and motorsport.
If you’re thinking about attending the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, this is your sign to go!
Before you continue reading – make sure to check out shopteenafey for the best F1 apparel and what to wear to F1 Grand Prix.
Bring Extra Sunscreen
The Texas Sun is seriously no joke. If you purchase 3-day passes to the United States Grand Prix you should go ahead a spend the some extra money on sunscreen. This was be a fall race in the F1 race schedule, but the Texas Sun takes no prisoners.
Pro Tip – do not bring aerosol can sunscreen, they will take it as you pass through security. Make sure you either apply an ample amount of sunscreen before you enter into the Circuit of the Americas.
Explore the F1 Fan Experience on Friday
If you secure a 3-day pass to the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, take advantage of all the fan experience set-ups on Friday. The crowds are not as large as they are on Saturday or Sunday, especially now that it is a Sprint Race weekend.
There are so many activations set up – from friendship bracelet making, to photo-ops, to a giant paint by the number and every thing in between. You do not want o miss the opportunity to explore the fan experience.
Pro Tip – Arriving early on all 3 days is a great way to beat the crowds and make sure you are not waiting in lines all day for merch and fan experiences
Bring An Empty Water Bottle
It is so incredibly hot at this race, and that is an understatement. Being an F1 Race, the United States Grand Prix is very expensive. Water bottles can run you upwards of $5 a piece and you could easily consumer 15 in a day because of how hot the weather is.
You are permitted to bring in an empty reusable water bottles and I can recommend doing that enough. There are multiple water bottle refilling stations through out the Circuit of the Americas where you can keep hydrated, for free. I promise you that your experience at the United Sates Grand Prix will be exponentially better if you are hydrated.
Pro Tip – The water bottle refilling stations have water spouts on all sides, 360 degrees. Don’t get stuck on a long line for one of the water spouts on the front, when you can walk around to the other side and wait half the time!
Avoid The Main Entrance On Race Day
The main entrance becomes chaos on race day – it’s also where the fan experience and fan activations are so if you got on Friday you don’t have to worry about going through this portion of the event. If you are not at the security lines early, you will be waiting at a minimum 45 minutes, in the hot sun, and it is not fun.
There are multiple entrances to the track and some are much more less traveled than others. I’d recommend finding an entrance that is not the main entrance on race day, especially if you are not planning on waking up early on F1 race day.
Don’t Forget An Umbrella For Shade
If you have ever been to an F1 Grand Prix, you know that there is a lot of down time in between races. There are multiple races that take place – F1 Academy, Porsche Racing Series, Old Timers, etc. – during the race weekend and there is down time in between each of them.
As a fan that attends the Grand Prix weekend to watch racing, having an umbrella to shield yourself from the sun while you sit in between races is a game changer. Remember do not keep it open during races, that’s just rude, but it is more than acceptable to use umbrellas in the stands when there are no cars on the track.
Pro Tip – There is no shade anywhere at the Circuit of the Americas so having an umbrella lets you create your own shade. You can either cuddle up next to a tent to find shade or hide in the stands – but bringing an umbrella allows you to bring shade with you wherever you go.
Trust The Police Running Traffic Control
I can’t say enough good things about the way the traffic control runs the logistics of entering and exiting the Circuit of the Americas. It is seriously impressive how quickly the team shifts traffic lanes for in the influx of people coming to park to changing the entire set-up to allow for a smooth exit from the track.
There are so many people working and directing traffic that there is no confusion on where you need to be and what lane is best for you. I said outline every day how impressive the logistics are given the amount of people that are attending the United States Grand Prix over the course of the weekend.
Pro Tip – Try not to stay in Austin Center. Traffic is substantially heavier when you are heading from the Circuit of the Americas to Austin than to destinations that are east of the track. You may not get the nightlife of the city, but if you’re looking for a relaxing stay away from the chaos of people and avoiding traffic, look East of the city.
Wear Comfortable Sneakers
You will be walking and walking a lot. Make sure you wear sneakers that are comfortable and broken in – I personally became victim to new sneaker blisters during the 2023 United States Grand Prix. Please learn from my mistakes and make sure you are comfortable sneakers.
When you are exploring the grounds around the track you can expect to walk more than 8 miles a day – and that is not an overestimate by any means.
Pro Tip – Make sure you are ready to walk the race track after the race on Sunday! You can get on the track at the Circuit of the Americas after the race to see the podium, but you are also able to fully walk around the track. My brother and I had a blast walking the track, experiencing all the turns in real life, and pretending to be race marshals holding up signs.
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