November 20, 2012 - In case your completely out of the loop (pun intended), the Circuit of the Americas ran its first Formula 1 race this weekend. The Circuit of the Americas is the first “purpose-built” Formula 1 race track in the United States. Sunday’s race brought over 100,000 people out, to watch Lewis Hamilton of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team capture his fourth victory of the season. It was the second time he’s won on American soil since 2007.
The Circuit of the Americas was received with nothing but positive reviews. The construction gear was cleared out just days before fans came pouring in. At $400 million dollars, the venue is one of the most expensive Formula 1 venues to ever be built. Circuit of the Americas legitimizes the US as a host of Formula 1 races. It’s been almost 5 years since our nation has held a Formula 1 race—the last one being in Indianapolis in 2007.
Lewis Hamilton may have won the race, but the city of Austin is the real winner. The track will bring in 6,000 jobs to the Austin area, not to mention an estimated 6.9 billion dollars of annual revenue
