The final hurdle blocking the return of Formula One racing to the United States has been cleared: on Tuesday, FIA’s head of racing, safety and technical matters, Charlie Whiting, granted Austin, Texas’ Circuit of the Americas “Grade 1” status. That means the circuit meets or exceeds the standards of F1’s governing body, and the race scheduled for November 18 will proceed as planned.
Whiting was enthusiastic about the track, saying to Autoweek that, “Everything that I’ve seen so far has been absolutely first class, and the progress that’s been made since the last time I was here is amazing. It’s built to the highest quality, exactly as we expected, and I’ve got absolutely no complaints whatsoever.”
Whiting took the time to walk the length of the 3.4 mile circuit, inspecting the smoothness of the asphalt, the size of run-off areas, curbing, guard rails and safety fences. Permanent structures were inspected, too, and also received glowing reviews. All that remains to finish before the November race is painting and landscaping, and Whiting will be back on site for a final inspection the week before the event.
We flew over the circuit on a trip to Austin in July, and even we’re amazed at how much progress has been made in a few months. While the track may be good to go, Austin residents will tell you that a hotel room shortage could prove to be a problem, as will access to the track and parking at the facility. We won’t be attending this year’s race, but will certainly head to Austin in the future to watch F1 on U.S. soil.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
