Max Verstappen drives during a free practice session with the Texas flag behind him ahead of the Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, U.S.A., on October 17, 2025.
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I went to Formula One expecting fast cars and champagne showers. What I found at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas during the preliminary races of the U.S. Grand Prix on Friday was a sprawling, sun-baked spectacle where milliseconds matter, cowboy boots are formal wear, and the future of car tech is being written in real time.
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Lesson 1: Comfortable shoes are essential
COTA is massive. The sun is relentless. The F1 governing body, the FIA, even issued a heat hazard warning for the weekend. By the time the day wound down, I felt like I had walked the entire track. If you’re going to survive F1 weekend, prioritize comfort over everything. Your feet will thank you.
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and Hannah St. John arrive in the Paddock prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 17, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Lesson 2: The Grand Prix is a fashion show
Formula One fans take style seriously, and Austin puts a spin on it. Polos, team merch and logo caps were paired with cowboy boots, wide-brim hats and a layer of dust from walking the grounds. Color choices signal allegiances: Ferrari, red; McLaren, papaya; Red Bull, blue.
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But here’s the takeaway: what you wear matters less than how long you can stand on your feet. Comfort wins.
Alpine’s French driver Pierre Gasly arrives for the practice session for the United States Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on October 17, 2025.
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Lesson 3: The real race happens behind the garages
Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 17, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
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While the crowd cheers, the real drama is invisible. Behind the Red Bull garages, billions of data points are moving between Austin and Milton Keynes, England in milliseconds.
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Morgan Maia with Oracle Red Bull Racing, described the operation led in a partnership with AT&T as a symphony: “We’ve gone from grease to data. In 2011, we barely had high-speed internet. Now, we transfer five times as much data, in real time.”
Four seconds can mark the difference between first and fifth place. F1 may look like fast cars on a track, but it’s really a high-speed chess match powered by code.
Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 17, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
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Lesson 4: The future is already here
When the checkered flag drops, the work doesn’t stop. By 2 a.m. Monday, the Red Bull garage will be stripped bare, cars packed as the team prepares for the next race in Mexico City the following week.
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The sport is evolving fast. By 2026, nearly 90% of the cars will be redesigned — featuring part-electric engines, sustainable fuel and smarter systems everywhere, Maia said.
“F1 innovation always trickles down. Carbon fiber, seatbelts, hybrid tech — it all started here.”
So yes, you’re watching a race. But you’re also watching the future of transportation being tested live.
Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing poses for a photo as he sits on a bull in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 16, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
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Lesson 5: Kygo illustrated F1’s calculated chaos
By the time Kygo took the Super Stage for the post-race concert, the track had turned into a music festival. The crowd — sunburned and dust-covered — was ready to let loose. Kygo delivered exactly what they wanted: nostalgia and euphoria in equal measure.
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He bounced between 2010s classics and dreamy ’80s hits, mixing “Titanium,” “Hot Stuff,” “Just Dance” and a few Avicii tributes that had everyone shouting lyrics into the warm Texas night. Fireworks burst overhead, lights and lasers flickered in kaleidoscopic patterns, and strangers danced like it was the last night of summer.
It was messy, loud and over-the-top — but somehow perfectly orchestrated. F1 weekend in Austin is controlled chaos: heat, music, tech and tradition all colliding in one experience. By the finale, I was sunburned, exhausted and low-key in awe. F1 is fast and flashy, but it’s also a dance where every second, every choice — and yes, every cowboy boot — counts.
