Lone Star Le Mans 2026

The Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, ranks among the newest members of the major WEC venues, yet already boasts a remarkable history. The facility was built on approximately 1,500 acres of land in the rolling hills outside downtown and opened its gates in 2012. As such, COTA was the first race track purpose-built for Formula 1 on American soil, a distinction that secured international attention from the outset and established it as a permanent fixture in the global motorsport calendar.

The planning and homologation of the track date back to the years before its opening: the circuit design was submitted to the FIA in Geneva for approval in December 2010. HKS, Inc. and Tilke Engineers & Architects were responsible for the design, while Austin Commercial, a subsidiary of Austin Industries, served as the general contractor for construction. Since its 2012 opening, COTA has established itself as a venue that regularly hosts the biggest names in motorsport, as well as action sports and music events, giving the track a distinctive cultural significance that extends well beyond racing operations.

The layout and character of the course are considered among COTA’s greatest strengths. Across its 5.513-kilometer length, 20 turns wind together, deliberately combining elements from some of the world’s most famous racing circuits into a single, coherent layout. Elevation changes are particularly striking: the difference between the track’s lowest and highest points reaches up to 40 meters, giving the course a wavelike profile. While turn 1 and turn 11 are tight, slow hairpins, the fast chicane through turns 3, 4, and 5 demands maximum precision at high speed—a combination that makes COTA one of the most demanding and versatile circuits on the international racing calendar.

The name Circuit of the Americas itself was not without controversy, as some observers detected echoes of the historically laden Monroe Doctrine in the designation. Regardless of this debate, the track has long since made its mark in sport and has become indispensable in the calendars of top international series. For the FIA WEC, the Lone Star Le Mans on this track represents a permanent fixture where the dramatic elevation profiles and the alternation between tight hairpins and fast corner combinations demand everything from drivers and teams while providing thrilling long-distance racing on American soil.