The United States Grand Prix has lived many lives. First run in 1908 as the American Grand Prize, it became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1959 and has since travelled across the country, from Sebring and Riverside to Watkins Glen, Phoenix, Indianapolis and now Austin.
Since 2012, its permanent home has been the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, apart from the cancelled 2020 event.
What To Know?
- Most wins: Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most United States Grand Prix victories in the Formula One World Championship era, with six wins across Indianapolis and Austin.
- Watkins Glen dominance: Between 1961 and 1980, Watkins Glen hosted 20 consecutive races, becoming the longest running venue in the event’s history and a favourite of drivers like Graham Hill and Jim Clark.
- Closest finish: The 2002 race at Indianapolis saw Rubens Barrichello defeat Michael Schumacher by just 0.011 seconds, one of the tightest margins in Formula One history.
- Youngest winner at the time: Bruce McLaren became the youngest winner in Formula One history when he won the 1959 United States Grand Prix at Sebring, a record that stood for more than four decades.
List of Every United States Grand Prix Winner
United States Grand Prix Winners: 1950s to 1970s
The modern Formula One chapter of the United States Grand Prix began in 1959 at Sebring, where Bruce McLaren became the youngest Formula One winner at the time.
The race quickly settled at Watkins Glen, which became its spiritual home through the 1960s and 1970s. British drivers dominated the early years. Stirling Moss won at Riverside in 1960, while Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart all triumphed at Watkins Glen during Formula One’s golden age.
The 1970s saw the event regularly decide championships. Emerson Fittipaldi secured his first world title with victory in 1970. Niki Lauda and James Hunt added their names during their fierce title battles, while Gilles Villeneuve claimed a memorable Ferrari win in 1979.
Watkins Glen became synonymous with dramatic season finales before financial difficulties ended its run after 1980.
United States Grand Prix Winners: 1980s to 2000s
After a gap in the early 1980s, Formula One returned to the United States in Phoenix. Alain Prost won in 1989, while Ayrton Senna dominated the tight street circuit in 1990 and 1991.
The race disappeared again before re-emerging at Indianapolis in 2000. The famous Brickyard ushered in a new era, largely defined by Michael Schumacher. Schumacher won five times at Indianapolis between 2000 and 2006, underlining Ferrari’s supremacy in the early 2000s.
One of the most controversial moments in Formula One history occurred at Indianapolis in 2005, when tyre issues reduced the field to just six cars. Schumacher took victory in extraordinary circumstances.
The Indianapolis era also saw breakthrough moments. Lewis Hamilton claimed his first United States Grand Prix win in 2007 during his sensational rookie season.
United States Grand Prix Winners: 2010s to Today
The modern home of the race is the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, which debuted in 2012. Hamilton won the inaugural event at the venue and went on to dominate much of the hybrid era there with Mercedes, adding multiple victories between 2014 and 2017.
Sebastian Vettel won in 2013 during Red Bull’s period of supremacy, while Kimi Raikkonen took a popular Ferrari win in 2018.
See also…
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2024 United States Grand Prix: Full Weekend Report & Highlights
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2025 United States Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners
The early 2020s have belonged largely to Max Verstappen. Victories in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025 reinforced Red Bull’s dominance in the ground effect era.
In 2024, Charles Leclerc added his name to the winners’ list, proving that Austin remains a circuit where changing competitive cycles are clearly visible.
Many Venues. One Grand Prix
From championship deciders at Watkins Glen to modern spectacles in Austin, the United States Grand Prix has reflected both the volatility and ambition of Formula One in America.
More F1 Race Winners
From Adelaide to Silverstone to Monza and Spa, we chart the full story of every F1 winner from each event’s first race to the last.
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