COTA reveals members-only clubhouse and plans for a second circuit ahead of 2026

Circuit of the Americas is reshaping itself into a year-round private venue, unveiling a towering new Turn 1 clubhouse during the United States Grand Prix weekend and confirming advanced plans for a second circuit on land adjacent to the existing F1 track.

The multi-storey structure, connected to the main paddock by a cable car that crosses the circuit, currently serves as an extension of F1’s Paddock Club during race weekend. From 2 January it transitions into a permanent members-only facility called ‘The Circuit’, with membership capped at 300 — 250 of which are reserved for North American members and the remaining 50 allocated to international and corporate applicants.

“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.”

Demand has moved quickly. Before the race weekend, around 600 people had already made enquiries, with one-to-one conversations held with approximately 140 of them. Mullins confirmed that many had begun placing deposits and signing contracts, with more than 50 additional submissions arriving in the 24 hours prior to the Grand Prix.

The clubhouse is not purely a commercial initiative driven by COTA president Bobby Epstein. Mullins indicated that upgrading hospitality was tied directly to the venue’s contract renewal with Formula 1. “A lot of our contract renewal was dependent on this as well,” he said. “F1 has made a big commitment to it. The sport has grown, and certain markets demand these kinds of amenities.”

The shift to a private venue does, however, displace the track-day users and regional driving clubs that have operated at COTA since the circuit opened. To address that, the Austin venue has drawn up plans for a second, shorter circuit designed for both cars and motorcycles on an empty plot of land to the north of the F1 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 said.

The full scope of COTA’s transformation — encompassing the new clubhouse, a reported amusement park, and the planned driving course — signals an ambition to compete as a destination venue well beyond its annual Formula 1 date.