After three days of racing action, the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix weekend at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) came to an exciting end.

Unlike in previous years, there was no sprint race to keep spectators especially close to the edge of their seats. However, there were other new additions to the experience that had attendees buzzing during breaks from the racing action: a new amusement park, a divisive luxury hospitality building, brand activations, and mid-day concerts scattered around at various venues.

We endured the awful traffic just to see it all, and to bring you our favorite moments from the weekend.

The U.S. Grand Prix was Kimi Antonelli’s weekend
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, only 20 years old, dominated the weekend. He is now just two points away from becoming the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to win the title as World Champion. Antonelli secured his seventh pole position of the season during the Qualifying session Saturday, and cleanly won the U.S. Grand Prix the following afternoon. If Antonelli clinches the championship next week during the Mexico Grand Prix, he will be the first Italian World Champion after 73 years.

Following his win on Sunday, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is only two points away from winning the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship. Photo by Amber Heckler

New year, new celebrity sightings — and some familiar faces
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was one of the most recognizable visitors to Austin last weekend. The race weekend always brings out so many high-profile attendees that we can hardly keep up. A few well-known attendees we spotted this weekend — other than the drivers themselves — included Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, local billionaire Michael Dell, actors Keegan-Michael Key and Damson Idris, and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. Fans booed as he handed the trophy to Kimi Antonelli, then they switched to cheers after the driver took it, contrasting the two reactions in the span of seconds. It’s always a pleasure to chat with some regulars, too, like World Fencing League founder Miles Chamley-Watson and the devout Ferrari Pope.

Fun and quirky flags show driver support
During Austin’s busy festival season, I look forward to finding all the unique flags and banners that spectators bring to Austin City Limits Music Festival and to the F1 weekend. Franco Colapinto always draws in many die-hard Argentine fans, and we spotted three Colapinto banners tied to the Turn 1 Grandstand on Sunday. Kimi Antonelli also got a cute show of support from two girls who printed his face onto an Italian flag.

These fans knew Kimi Antonelli would win.Photo by Amber Heckler

Fashionistas come out to play
Every year we spot a few trendsetting F1 attendees who stand out among a sea of team merchandise. Westernwear was a common sight behind the paddock, and we noticed an overwhelming number of cowboy hats — sans boots and jeans. One of our favorite fashion-forward spectators eschewed the Western look for a bright floral romper, an ombré Ferrari hat, and rainbow petal platform espadrilles; her friend looked effortless in a colorfully striped duster. Stay tuned for these and more exhilarating race weekend shots in photographer Daniel Cavazos' gallery later this week.

The shiny new Turn 1 hospitality club that kept people talking all weekend
If we had a drink every time we heard talk about the brand-new, members-only hospitality club at Turn 1, we would have missed most of the event. We heard complaints ad nauseam about the gigantic eyesore all weekend long. We were skeptical about the idea of swimming in either of the two rooftop pools during the race weekend, but we admit we were slightly envious of the gondolas that carried members to and from the Paddock Club.

The COTALand Theme Park adds new off-track entertainment
While navigating the Grand Plaza, we encountered COTA’s recently opened amusement park, complete with roller coasters, a carousel, a Ferris wheel, and nostalgic-looking restaurant storefronts. Speakers blared pop music around the park — including a rubber chicken parody of A-ha’s famous hit “Take on Me” — which induced auditory whiplash as it overlapped with other music coming from individual rides. It wasn’t our cup of tea, but thrill-seekers seemed to be enjoying the rides when there wasn’t any on-track action to watch.

Brightly lit LED screens displayed wildflowers at the COTALand entrance.Photo by Amber Heckler

Photo by Amber Heckler

The top three finishers were Kimi Antonelli, Charles LeClerc, and Max Verstappen.

Austin’s busiest and most festival-heavy month is now drawing to a close. We’re sure locals will be looking forward to the Austin Food & Wine Festival and the Texas Book Festival in November, but after back-to-back weekends of ACL Fest, Hot Luck food festival, and F1, we’re grateful for a little respite.