Inside COTA’s Turn 1 Clubhouse and Its Plans to Build a Second Track

Visitors and television audiences tracking the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix witnessed a dramatic transformation at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Towering over Turn 1, a brand-new multi-storey hospitality clubhouse now commands the Austin skyline. Connected directly to the central paddock area through a track-spanning cable car, the structure operates during Grand Prix weekends as an expansion of F1’s high-end Paddock Club before evolving into a permanent, year-round institution known as ‘The Circuit’ beginning January 2.

The facility represents a fundamental transition for the Austin racing venue as it shifts toward a private membership model. Parris Mullins, COTA’s Senior Vice President of Motorsports, detailed the exclusive structure behind the venture. It isn’t an annual membership in the traditional sense, said Parris Mullins, COTA’s Senior Vice President of Motorsports. It’s much more like a country club. There are annual dues to maintain the facilities and cover staffing, but the initiation fee is a one-time payment that essentially provides a lifetime membership.

Interest in the bespoke club surged in the lead-up to the event. We’ve had more than 50 additional submissions in the past 24 hours, and that was before this race weekend. Before this race weekend, around 600 people had reached out. We’ve had one-to-one conversations with approximately 140 of them, and many have started putting down deposits and signing contracts, Mullins stated, emphasizing the finite access: There will never be more than 300 members. We’re limiting North American membership to 250. The remaining 50 places will be a mix of international and corporate memberships.

Upgrading F1 Hospitality Standards

Spearheaded by COTA president Bobby Epstein, the ambitious expansion aligns with Formula 1 management’s wider mandate requiring race promoters to significantly enhance paddock hospitality. Premium infrastructure upgrades have become a crucial component of securing long-term calendar commitments.

A lot of our contract renewal was dependent on this as well, Mullins added. We needed to improve both the members’ experience and the experience for the Paddock Club guests. F1 has made a big commitment to it. The sport has grown, and certain markets demand these kinds of amenities. They have to keep improving what they offer.

Plans for a Dedicated Grassroots Circuit

Because the primary 3.427-mile Grand Prix circuit is pivoting to exclusive private club usage, local driving enthusiasts and independent track-day organizers will lose access to the main surface. To address this displacement, COTA management is finalizing blueprints to construct an entirely new, shorter racing circuit on an empty plot of land located north of the existing track.

A second track will be built, primarily because we recognise that we’re displacing a number of people and organisations that have been partners of ours since the circuit opened, Mullins explained. Growing motorsport, particularly in the local area, is very important to us. We’re not going to build another FIA Grade 1 facility because there’s no need for one. Instead, we want to build something that suits the local motorsport community, allows them to continue using a circuit and gives them access at a much lower price point.

Mullins acknowledged the sentimental shift for local racers: There’s obviously prestige associated with COTA. I know people love being able to say they’ve driven their car on the grand prix circuit, and we’re sorry that this won’t always be possible unless they’re members. But we want to give people somewhere they can drive, enjoy motorsport and continue participating at a grassroots level.

The proposed secondary layout—tailored for both automobiles and motorcycles—will be built to FIA Grade 3 specifications. This categorization accommodates touring cars, sports cars, and entry-level single-seaters without the rigid design mandates required for modern Formula 1 machinery.

We want to create something fun with a different personality from the grand prix circuit, he said. COTA was built around the requirements of a single major race weekend. I’d like it to have corners we don’t have here. We don’t have a banked corner, for example, so I think the new circuit should have one. It should also have an iconic chicane. We want features that people can enjoy in the kinds of cars they bring to the track. The layout should suit them much better.

While no definitive opening date has been confirmed, track leadership intends to move forward quickly. We still need to finalise everything and work through the process with the city, he said. We’re far enough along that we’re comfortable saying we want to get it done sooner rather than later. We don’t want the local motorsport community to go without a facility for too long, but we also need to get the project right.

Why This Matters

COTA’s transformation highlights a wider trend across elite motorsport venues seeking financial viability outside of standard race weekends. Having secured a contract extension running through 2034, the Austin venue boasts the stability required to amortize major capital investments across diverse commercial operations.

Alongside retaining flagship rounds for Formula 1, MotoGP, and the World Endurance Championship (WEC)—as well as preparing to welcome Formula E in 2027—COTA is cultivating year-round revenue streams. These ventures range from the ultra-wealthy clientele of ‘The Circuit’ to the mass-market appeal of the on-site COTALAND amusement park, live music concerts, and local sports culture. While catering to high-net-worth VIPs, COTA continues to host massive crowds reaching up to 440,000 across a race weekend.

Balancing elite hospitality with high-capacity general entertainment remains the venue’s defining strategy. As Mullins concluded: Formula 1 provides the on-track action. Our job is to complement that between sessions. The concerts were the first step. What Bobby did with those was really groundbreaking. At the end of the day, this is sport, but it’s also entertainment. We want to entertain people.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ‘The Circuit’ at COTA?

‘The Circuit’ is COTA’s exclusive, country club-style membership organization headquartered at the newly constructed Turn 1 multi-storey clubhouse. Launching January 2, it features a one-time initiation fee for lifetime membership alongside annual maintenance dues, with membership strictly capped at 300 people.

Can the public still drive on COTA’s Formula 1 track?

No. With the main Grand Prix circuit transitioning to private access for clubhouse members, standard public track days and regional amateur driving club events will no longer take place on the primary FIA Grade 1 circuit.

What are the plans for COTA’s second track?

COTA is designing a separate, shorter track built to FIA Grade 3 specifications on land situated north of the current facility. Intended for cars, motorcycles, and grassroots competitors at a lower price point, the proposed layout is slated to incorporate distinctive features such as a banked corner and a signature chicane.