Austin (COTA)

The brainchild of promoter Tavo Hellmund and originally supported by former motorcycle World Champion Kevin Schwantz, the undulating and spectacular Circuit Of The Americas has been the home of the Formula 1 United States Grand prix since 2012. Earlier designs from architect Hermann Tilke may have met with a lukewarm reception but COTA has proved a popular and challenging addition to the calendar. It features an uphill, wide first corner, sweeping subsequent section that is based on Silverstone’s Maggotts/Becketts/Chapel sequence and long backstretch that promotes overtaking, all of which is dominated by a 77-metre observation tower. The only gripe is that the circuit has increasingly been blighted by severe bumps due to the area’s clay soil. That said, MotoGP, the World Endurance Championship, IndyCar and NASCAR races have since been added as COTA has cemented its place on the world stage.