US GP on target for record crowd

The United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas is closing in on a record attendance for this year’s race, following earlier concerns that Formula 1's new regulations might hurt demand for tickets.

Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali has regularly dismissed concerns that fans could be alienated by the impact of the 2026 regulations, despite drivers having publicly criticized the impact of the latest power units. COTA chairman Bobby Epstein said his experience tallies with Domenicali’s view that the vast majority of fans are enjoying the spectacle, regardless of the underlying technical rules.

“It hasn't hurt our ticket sales this year,” Epstein said. “We're actually on pace for a record year, seeing massive demand and could easily break our record – our prior year record. So from that standpoint, that's the first place I'd look and say, 'how are the fans responding?' And I think a lot of our fans are fans of our event as much as they are of the sport itself.

“Some of that is probably anticipated noise you have from a year where you have a major overhaul rules. You're going to have that, that noise and it'll level itself out. I think most fans are aware of that.

“From the promoter standpoint, if suddenly I saw our ticket sales had fallen off, I'd sound some bells and alarms and wonder what's going on. But I think what we're seeing is massive interest in the event, and so I'm not as focused on the rules and regs that affect the competition.

“To a large extent for the majority of that crowd, yes, they want to see on-track action… I think for the long term health of the sport, it can't be quirky. And I think F1 and the FIA are aware of that, and they continue to make adjustments to ensure that the competition stays genuine.”

While Epstein is unwilling to predict this year’s attendance for the race in Austin, he says significant growth could also be on the horizon due to improvements to circuit access for fans.

“I wouldn't put numbers on it, but I would say that we've had good meetings with the highway department and that they've assured us within two years they're improving the roads to get out here, which would allow us to add 15 to 30,000 more people per day to a weekend event, with additional lanes," he said.

“Let’s see that happen, because we've got the demand. We're already the most well-attended, largest single weekend sporting event in America, and so we'd be happy to extend that lead.”