Austin
The 2012 season sees Formula One racing return to the United States for the first time since 2007 with an all-new venue in Austin, Texas. The Circuit of The Americas will be the first purpose-built F1 facility in the US designed for any and all classes of racing.
Its signature element will be a 5.5-kilometre (3.4-mile) Grand Prix circuit, located in Wandering Creek, southeast of the Texan capital, and designed by the much-respected Hermann Tilke in collaboration with American architectural firm HKS.
The 20-turn, anticlockwise track, construction of which began in January 2011, draws inspiration from the best circuits around the world, as well as taking advantage of the site's natural topography to include dramatic elevation changes of up to 40 metres.
There is a steep, uphill run into the hairpin Turn One, which is expected to become the venue's signature corner. Turns Three through Six look not dissimilar to Silverstone's high-speed Maggotts/Becketts; Turns 12 through 15 give a nod to Hockenheim's stadium section; and Turns 16 through 18 will mirror the famous, multi-apex Turn Eight at Istanbul Park.
The proposed grandstands, semi-permanent stands and natural seating areas will enable over 120,000 fans to attend the Grand Prix, but the circuit is only one part of the multi-functional 900-acre site.
Support buildings will include a medical facility, 14 executive meeting suites, a conference centre and a banquet hall, as well as an expansive outdoor live music space. Future proposed amenities include a driving/riding experience, a motorsports driving club, kart track, grand plaza event centre and tower, and a trackside recreational vehicle park.
