Five unforgettable U.S. Grand Prix at COTA

The first U.S. Grand Prix at COTA instantly became a classic. Sebastian Vettel started from pole and seemed set for victory, but Lewis Hamilton chased him down in the closing laps. When a backmarker slowed Vettel, Hamilton seized the moment with a bold move into Turn 12 to take the win — his last triumph for McLaren before joining Mercedes.

2. The hat-toss showdown with Rosberg (2015)

Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s tense title battle came to a head in Austin. After rain-soaked qualifying, Hamilton forced Rosberg wide at Turn 1 and later inherited the lead when Rosberg made a costly mistake. Hamilton clinched both the race and his third championship — then cheekily threw his cap at Rosberg, who tossed it right back.

3. Verstappen’s podium that never was (2017)

Starting from P16 after an engine penalty, Max Verstappen delivered a thrilling comeback drive, slicing through the field to finish third on track. But joy turned to frustration when stewards ruled he’d gone off-track while passing Kimi Raikkonen on the final lap. A five-second penalty dropped him to fourth — and out of the cooldown room before the podium.

4. Raikkonen’s long-awaited return to glory (2018)

After five winless years, Kimi Raikkonen rolled back the clock in Austin. The Finn overtook Hamilton at the start and controlled the race from the front, holding off Max Verstappen in the final laps to win by just over a second. The victory ended a 114-race drought and became Raikkonen’s last in Formula 1 — a fitting farewell to his Ferrari chapter.

5. Verstappen outduels Hamilton in a title thriller (2021)

The 2021 season was defined by the fierce Verstappen-Hamilton rivalry, and COTA delivered another classic. Hamilton grabbed the early lead, but Verstappen undercut him with smart pit strategy. Despite Hamilton’s late charge on fresher tires, Verstappen held firm to win by 1.3 seconds — a defining victory on his road to a maiden world title.