The United States Grand Prix races will remain in Austin until the 2034 season, according to an Oct. 19 Formula 1 press release.
The event is hosted annually by F1 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin and takes place over the course of three days, according to the racing track’s website. F1 announced in 2022 that the United States Grand Prix would stay in Austin until 2026, but has now decided to extend its stay again because of growing momentum in the sport. The event brought in almost 130,000 people per day in 2021, according to a report from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.
“Formula 1 continues to grow and set records across all the races they have across the globe,” said Jeremy Martin, president and CEO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. “Austin has proven itself to be a great host city.”
When F1 first began, European men were the primary fanbase, but the group became more diverse over time, according to the F1 2025 Global Fan Survey. Over half of respondents who have been fans for one or two years are between 18 to 24 years old. Additionally, three in four of new fans are women, according to the survey.
Members of Longhorn Baja, a student organization that designs and builds outdoor vehicles for an annual competition, attend F1 races at Circuit of the Americas. Yash Tate, co-captain of Longhorn Baja, said members also volunteer by marshaling flags during races.
“Formula 1 and Circuit of the Americas, (it’s) more than just being a racetrack or a sport. It’s more like a motor sports house,” said Tate, a mechanical engineering sophomore. “It’s a family of people that come together over a united passion, who are able to express a lot of their interests.”
Jacob Pineda, a member of Longhorn Baja, said he volunteered by setting up the car corral during the GT3 World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas. He grew up in Guatemala, where there aren’t racetracks like this one, he said.
“I never actually imagined to be even remotely close to a racetrack and be able to have these experiences,” said Pineda, a mechanical engineering sophomore.
Martin said F1 brings in companies such as Dell, Oracle and IBM. This helps boost Austin’s innovation economy, he said.
“Formula 1 is at the leading edge of advanced technology and advanced manufacturing,” Martin said. “A lot of that innovation is supported by companies with significant presence in Austin.”
Tate said since Formula 1 attracts several engineering companies, it gives students like him the opportunity to network and learn more about the sport from a professional standpoint.
“Circuit of the Americas and Formula 1 is one of those things that is very overlooked in terms of how much opportunity it provides to students at UT Austin,” Tate said. “There is not a single school in the United States that is as close in proximity and has so much potential to be able to collaborate with a track like that.”
