Formula One returns to The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) this weekend for the first time since 2019, as Williams Racing prepare for a better weekend than last time out in Turkey.
COTA is a real drivers favourite with it’s fast and flowing nature, for George Russell it is certainly a favoured track. The British driver will be hoping for not only better weather in Texas this weekend but also better fortunes, as the Williams driver aims at climbing back into the points come Sunday after a disappointing Turkish Grand Prix.
“The Circuit of the Americas is an incredible track and the weekend as a whole in Texas is an incredibly cool experience. Austin is definitely one of my favourites cities we visit on the calendar, so I am really excited to head back to the United States. As a circuit, COTA has lots of character and is so fast and flowing but also bumpy, which adds another challenge. All in all, I’m really looking forward to it.”
“This is the closest I have to a home race in 2021!” – Nicholas Latifi
For Nicholas Latifi this weekend represents the closest he will get to a home race this season, after the Canadian Grand Prix was cancelled earlier in the year due to the ongoing pandemic.
With the American Grand Prix cancelled in 2020, this weekend will be Latifi’s first venture around COTA. The Canadian driver is looking forward to experiencing the speed of the circuit at what is effectively his home race this season.
“I’m super excited to get on the track in Austin. It’s one of the races I was most looking forward to this year, as I’ve not raced there yet. It’s a very well-rounded track; the first sector is very fast and flowing and seems like a lot of fun, the rest is slower speed and more technical so I’m looking forward to tackling that challenge. It’s the first time I’ll be back on the other side of the Atlantic since last year, so geographically, this is the closest I have to a home race in 2021.”
Credit: Williams Racing