Circuit of the Americas boss, Bobby Epstein believes that Cadillac's arrival on the grid next year will prove positive for the Texas circuit.

Much is being made of the new team's national identity, even though there is already an American team on the grid, with Epstein believing that the new outfit, complete with Finnish and Mexican drivers, will give COTA a boost.

"I think Cadillac is going to be really great for us and for the sport," he said, according to Motorsport.com. "They were here this past weekend for the World Endurance Championship race. I think they're going to be very engaged as a brand, which could be great.

"I think about all the possibilities of things we can do together because they're a manufacturer," he added, "from the Hot Lap ride, which could be a Cadillac ride, to a Cadillac garage tour, to having a focus on getting an American driver. That constellation is going to be very good for us."

The American driver may be a couple of years away, as test driver Colton Herta heads to F2 from IndyCar as part of his preparation for promotion to the pinnacle of motorsport.

Nonetheless, the idea of an American driver in an American car on the grid for the United States Grand Prix is a mouth-watering prospect for the boss of a track which previously had to host pop concerts in a bid to get people through the turnstiles over the race weekend.

"For the sport's sake, separate from just COTA and the Grand Prix at our track, if there were an American champion driver, that would go a lot farther," said Epstein. "That would take it to the next level."

Despite widespread scepticism in terms of Cadillac's competitiveness, certainly in the first few seasons, Epstein is confident.

"I don't expect them to be the last place team," he said.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Chester, 18/09/2025 12:02

"@Hubris. I have such fond memories of 2016. My wife and I curiosly waited for Swift's show sitting on a low wall, kind of dusty-faced after being at the track all day, and watching mothers and preteen and teen daughters prance by in clean white T shirts with "Swifty" labels all over. A dichotomy indeed, as these folks arrive at 5 or 6 PM.

But the memory etched on my brain, is seeing that large group of white with glow-in-the-dark arm bands waiting like a hoard behind a chain-link fence three hundred yards from the stage. The COTA folks opened the fence- and truly, it looked like a scene from Braveheart with a massive hoard running toward that stage. All that was missing was Mel Gibson's scream of "FREEDOM".

Probably not the entertainment COTA expected to deliver. I have to admit Swift was talented as me wife and I watched the concert on our wall, far away from those clean white shirt females."

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2. Posted by The Hubris Of Man, 18/09/2025 1:12

"@Chester I completely agree with your comment. I attended every race at COTA before the pandemic and only once since then. The crowd post-pandemic was huge and too big for me. It rivaled the 1st year at COTA. As far as the year Taylor Swift was there, that is something I never understood. I get that wanted to cross promote but a bunch of Swifties have no interest in F1 and probably never will."

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3. Posted by Ricardo_sanchez, 17/09/2025 20:56

"You’ve got to feel sympathy for Gene Haas. Maybe it’s all down to branding. A rebrand as “Haas-USA” or a tie-up with a big US sponsor might have made the difference. Now Andretti–Cadillac come along and get all the headlines as if they’re first real ‘Team USA’ in F1. "

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4. Posted by Chester, 17/09/2025 11:10

"In reality, COTA (Austin, Texas) does not need a boost. It has been a sold-out event now for 4-5 years- and they keep adding seats, most of them premium seats. It was four years ago that I was crestfallen to arrive on Friday expecting a realxing day, only to find a crowd the size of Saturday afternoon qualifying.

Oh to return to the days of 2016 (it was bliss, there was room to breathe) when indeed, Taylor Swift was recruited for her only show that year to pump up sales.

So unless Epstein thinks he can raise prices even higher, currently $950 USD for a turn 12 seat for the weekend, he is just talking or currying favor with Cadillac."

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Cadillac will be good for COTA

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