AUSTIN, Texas : The U.S. Grand Prix is on course to attract a record crowd this year despite criticism from some fans and drivers over Formula One’s new regulations, Circuit of the Americas founder and race promoter Bobby Epstein said.
The Austin race, scheduled for Oct. 25 as the 18th round of the championship, is experiencing strong ticket demand despite concerns surrounding Formula One’s new engine era.
“It hasn’t hurt our ticket sales this year,” Epstein told reporters. “We’re actually on pace for a record year. We are seeing massive demand and could easily break our prior-year record.
“I think a lot of our fans are fans of our event as much as they are of the sport itself, so some of that criticism is probably anticipated noise that you have from a year where you have a major overhaul in the rules.
“You’re going to have that noise and it’ll level itself out. I think most fans are aware of that. What we’re seeing is massive interest in the event, so I’m not as focused on the rules and regulations that affect the competition.”
The official attendance for last year’s sold-out race weekend exceeded 400,000 spectators.
Epstein said ongoing road improvements and the addition of extra traffic lanes around the Circuit of the Americas could increase daily capacity by between 15,000 and 30,000 spectators.
Formula One said earlier this week that six of the first 11 races of the 2026 season had set attendance records, underlining the sport’s continued growth despite debate over its latest technical regulations.
