Need some advice - Austin F1 race

I sat at turn 2 and turn 18 on the grass for F1 and MotoGP. Brought a cheap painters' drop cloth to avoid the bugs. General Admission was fine, since you don't feel obligated to stay in one place the whole day. DVR the race, enjoy walking around, stopping at different places, and watch the details of the race on DVR later. We walked the whole track, clockwise one time, counter the next, but always seemed to gravitate to turn 2 grass. Aside from all the problems the first few years, the race itself is an enjoyably day, if you move around and experience the whole track.

 

I've been at COTA for 3 F1 races, but always as a competitor in the support series. Essentially, that meant we were prisoners on "paddock island".

There are plenty of COTA attendance vets here who can provide good wisdom.

One Alternative idea I'd offer is to consider the Canadian GP at Montreal. 1) track is smaller and more intimate, you can be really close to the track 2) you can easily walk around and get everywhere, other than the F1 paddock (and you can access and walk around the support race paddocks, which is fun) 3) the F1 theme in the town is great, and a 5 min subway ride away 4) you have a lot of options for accommodations; again, the metro really makes getting around easy

The Canadian GP is much more like a European race environment, and the organizers are actually locals, so they run the event for the fans, whereas COTA is more run by FOM and the fans are more nuisances.

 

I have been to every F1 race at COTA, the first year the GA tickets had a lot of options to watch from, but it seems every year since then that the viewing options for GA ticket holders have been reduced.

 

Your son will enjoy going with YOU. He will not care about what section the tickets are for. Took my kids to the Long Beach GP years ago and they still talk about it.

 

I tried the GA this last year and thought it was just great. Went to the Walmart up the road and bought some folding chairs for $6. Turn 18 was my personal favorite- great passing zone, acceleration area, tv monitor, and bathrooms all nearby. Unless you have paddock access, you're really not missing much by going GA with your own portable seat.

 

I've been to every F1 race at COTA, and they've never reduced the GA viewing areas. They've actually increased, because they've reduced the number of reserved grandstands that used to occupy what is now available as GA. You can watch GA from anywhere on the track that isn't a reserved grandstand, and that's a HUGE area.

My favorite GA area is T18/19, but you must make a visit to the T1 GA area at the top of the hill as well. It's the best place to watch a race start, if you can't get a spot there for the Sunday race, then do it on Friday/Sat for one of the supporting races.

 

the first year GA could watch from the starting line, I know because I had turn 9 tickets, and ended up just watching from the GA spot, by the 2nd race they had built seats there, and the GA area was pushed down the front stretch to almost the tunnel. 2nd year I sat turn 15, but remember seeing a lot of GA viewing spots around the tower (turns 16, 17, 18). 3rd year I was in the paddock, so didnt really pay attention to GA. Last year I was back in turn 15, but noticed they added a lot of boxes around the tower.

 

Turn 2 hill, (below the T2A and T2B VIP Suites, actually) is a good place....

As it gets closer, I would be glad for you to have my phone, and we can see you around the COTA.

 

Yep the Sky Boxes were the new addition and it encroaches on a lot of GA, but also replaced some of the T3, 4, 5 bleachers.

Can someone post a current image from the website??
I really have not paid much attention to the variations of the Track Structures.

They moved Bobby Epstein's Suite, as well as the Paddock Club, last year.

 

Get the list of acceptable equipment:

Blankets and low lawn chairs would be good, no large umbrellas...

They take everything else away, as you clear security!
Down to the hot coffee cup, in your hand.......

 

yes, the hillside at T18 has the advantage of being right off of the Main Plaza.

View of Turns 17, 18, and T19, disappearing around the corner to the Main Grandstand front straight.

 

Looks like there will be more GA choices than ever at COTA in 2016. These are the grandstand choices for this year's USGP according to ticketmaster:



There are great GA views at 1, 2, 4, 6-7, and 9, but lately 11 has become my favorite GA viewing area, esp since they removed the 3 grandstands from there. It's a hike though.

I'd like to echo the sentiments of walking from place to place during the race, and of checking out Montreal as an alternative as well. Much more intimate and closer to the track, and the ability to freely roam the support paddock, as mentioned above, is a huge bonus. It's always a bummer in Austin when the Historics run there but you can't visit their paddock.

 

On the contrary, every year there have been fewer grandstands than the year before, so the options have increased for GA viewing. The only thing I can think of that's been taken away is the little grass strip at the Start line at the end of the Main Grandstand. They haven't built anything new there since opening except the hospitality tent atop that grassy slope. The seating there at the end of the Main grandstand is the same as it's always been. They just closed off that grass area to GA fans so the folks in the hospitality tent above it could roam the grass there.

 

You can take in water in unopened bottles or in reusable water bottles. Or you can take empty water bottles and fill them from COTA's giant water coolers. You can also sneak in some canned drinks and food if you're tricky ... bottom of your bag, cargo pockets, etc.

 

You can check out the grandstand seating at this COTA website, and each grandstand has a little link to a 360 degree photo of the view on race day, just scroll around on the photo

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix Oct. 21-22-23-2016 Formula 1 - Circuit of the Americas

 

yep.

 

The 360 photo for T1 is no longer accurate. That grandstand has been replaced with a smaller one further up the hill.