On which circuits has Formula 1 raced in the United States throughout its history?

The United States Grand Prix

The history of the United States Grand Prix is ​​the longest and most changeable of all American races. Formula 1It began in 1959 at the Sebring circuit in Florida — the same track that still hosts the 12 Hours race today. IMSABruce McLaren He secured his first Formula 1 victory there, at just 22 years old, in a race held on this semi-permanent circuit with characteristics very different from European tracks. The event then moved in 1960 to the Riverside circuit in California, also for a single edition, won by Stirling Moss, before finding a more stable home at Watkins Glen, in New York State, where it remained from 1961 to 1975.

These fifteen years at Watkins Glen represent the golden age of the United States Grand Prix in its classic form. The New York circuit, nestled in the Finger Lakes hills, became one of the must-see events on the world calendar, attracting spectators and offering memorable races in an exceptional natural setting. Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, and Carlos Reutemann all achieved some of their greatest victories there. A Frenchman also triumphed there: François Cevert in 1971. It was on this same circuit, two years later, in 1973, that he tragically lost his life in an accident during the final part of qualifying.

François Cevert at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 1971, the only one of his career. © DPPI

Watkins Glen changed its name on the calendar in 1975—the circuit's history continuing as the "United States Grand Prix East" until 1980 to distinguish it from the United States Grand Prix West, which appeared in 1976. The United States Grand Prix East returned to the calendar in 1982 and 1983 at the Detroit Autosport Circuit. It lost its name and reverted to the United States Grand Prix with the arrival of the Phoenix International Speedway from 1989 to 1991, on a street circuit laid out in the streets of Arizona's capital. These three American editions did not leave a lasting impression: Ayrton Senna won the last two in 1990 and 1991, but the race struggled to gain popularity with the American public and disappeared from the calendar once again.

The return to the 2000s

The United States Grand Prix returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2000, not on the legendary oval but on a permanent circuit laid out within it, with a section using part of the original track. This period was marked by one of the most controversial episodes in the history of the sport: at the 2005 race, only six cars started after fourteen teams withdrew due to safety concerns related to the Michelin tires in the banked corners. A one-sided race won by Michael SchumacherThis left a bitter taste in the mouths of an already hard-to-convince American public. Indianapolis dropped from the calendar in 2007, once again leaving the United States without a Grand Prix for several years.

The almost empty grid for the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. © Éric Vargiolu / DPPI

The most lasting and significant return came in 2012 with the opening of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas — designed by architect Hermann Tilke, a favorite of the modern calendar, with its first sector inspired by Istanbul Park, its long, fast curves, and its enthusiastic Texas crowd. Lewis Hamilton He has recorded five victories at COTA, a circuit record, including his most recent in 2019, where he won his sixth world title. The circuit has hosted the United States Grand Prix continuously since its inauguration, despite the arrival of other races held in the United States.

The United States Grand Prix West

Between 1976 and 1983, the calendar included a second American Grand Prix, named the United States Grand Prix West, held at the Long Beach circuit in California. Located on the streets of the port city in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Long Beach quickly became one of the most glamorous events on the world calendar, attracting increasing numbers of spectators and celebrities.

The 1982 Long Beach Grand Prix. © Eric Vargiolu / DPPI

Clay Regazzoni won the inaugural edition in 1976 ahead of his teammate Niki Lauda. American driver and 1976 world champion Mario Andretti triumphed in front of his home crowd in 1977. Gilles Villeneuve secured a memorable victory there in 1978 in his Classic Ferrari for saleAlan Jones won in 1980 and 1981. The race disappeared from the Formula 1 calendar after 1983, replaced by Formula CART events. Long Beach remains an iconic circuit for IMSA and...IndyCar.

The Caesars Palace Grand Prix

Las Vegas hosted its own separate race, the Caesars Palace Grand Prix, in 1981 and 1982. The circuit, laid out in the parking lot of the eponymous hotel-casino, remains one of the most striking examples of what Formula 1 should avoid today. Counter-clockwise direction, a glass-like surface, flat, repetitive corners devoid of any technical interest, and the crushing heat of the Nevada desert—the combination was universally loathed by drivers. Nelson Piquet won his first world title there in 1981 in conditions of extreme exhaustion, taking fifteen minutes to recover from the excitement after barely crossing the finish line.

The Caesars Palace Grand Prix took place in a parking lot. © Thierry Bovy / DPPI

Michele Alboreto won the second and final edition in 1982 in his Tyrrell. The races attracted only sparse crowds, as the first edition had caused significant financial losses for the organizing hotel. Formula 1 left Las Vegas after 1982, leaving behind the memory of an episode the sport prefers to forget—before returning triumphantly to the Strip in 2023, in a radically different and decidedly more spectacular format.

The Dallas Grand Prix

Dallas hosted only one race, on July 8, 1984, in the Fair Park neighborhood, a suburb of downtown Dallas. The race went down in history for all the wrong reasons: organized in the middle of July to avoid rain, it took place in sweltering heat of nearly 38°C (100°F), which the organizers had not adequately anticipated. The asphalt, unable to withstand these temperatures combined with the stresses imposed by the cars, gradually disintegrated lap after lap, making the track dangerous and virtually unusable. Of the twenty-six cars that started, only eight finished the race.

Nigel Mansell, exhausted after pushing his Lotus following his sixth-place finish at the Dallas Grand Prix. © DPPI

The race is most memorable for the image of a weary and dehydrated Nigel Mansell attempting to push his broken-down Lotus to the finish line before collapsing from exhaustion. Keke Rosberg won the chaotic event ahead of Ayrton Senna, who was forced to retire his Toleman due to running out of fuel. Major financial problems—the main organizer quickly becoming the target of an FBI investigation for embezzlement—combined with protests from residents of the predominantly African American neighborhood of Fair Park, who felt they had not been consulted during the event's planning, definitively sealed the fate of a second edition, which would never take place.

The Miami Grand Prix

The Miami Grand Prix will debut in 2022 at the Miami International Autodrome — a semi-permanent circuit built around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins football team. Its introduction reflects Liberty Media's desire to establish Formula 1 in major American cities, fueled by the success of the Netflix series Drive to Survive, which has dramatically increased sports viewership in the United States.

Formula 1 organized a race with life-size Lego cars during the last Miami Grand Prix. © Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

The circuit, laid out in the stadium parking lot, was initially criticized for its lack of overtaking opportunities. An interesting statistic has also emerged since its inception: the pole-sitter has never won the race — from 2022 to 2024, all pole-sitters finished second, and in 2025, Max Verstappen, who had secured pole position, finished fourth behind the McLaren one-two finish ofOscar piastri et Lando Norris and Mercedes Benz by George Russell. The event has adopted a sprint format since 2024.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix

Las Vegas makes its grand return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2023, fifty years after the disastrous experience in the Caesars Palace parking lot in 1981 and 1982. The new Las Vegas circuit is laid out on the Strip—the central avenue lined with casinos and giant hotels that has made the city world-famous. The race takes place at night, under the neon lights of the casinos, in a unique atmosphere that no other circuit on the world calendar can offer.

Formula 1 now races on the Las Vegas Strip. © Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

Max Verstappen won the inaugural race in 2023 in a night race held in unseasonably cold temperatures for Nevada—a climatic paradox that forced teams to completely rethink their setups. George Russell triumphed in 2024 in similar conditions, while the four-time world champion reclaimed the top spot in 2025 after the disqualification of the two McLarens ahead of him. The Las Vegas Grand Prix has quickly established itself as one of the most spectacular events on the calendar, although its November slot, with nighttime temperatures sometimes near freezing, remains a considerable logistical and technical challenge.

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