Which F1 drivers do well at US Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton successful at COTA

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Formula 1 has seen a wealth of drivers claim multiple United States Grand Prix wins since staging the first race in 1959, but only a handful at the Circuit of the Americas.

COTA started staging the US Grand Prix in 2012 as F1 returned to the United States after five years. The enduring fallout of Tyregate from the 2005 US Grand Prix when 14 of the 20 cars refused to race over fears their Michelin tyres would fail had ensured Formula 1 kept away.

But the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas was purpose-built for Formula 1 and handed the series a home in the States. It also only took three editions of the US Grand Prix at COTA for the circuit to yield a repeat winner, as Lewis Hamilton won with McLaren and Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton is the most successful F1 driver at the US Grand Prix at COTA

Hamilton took his last of 21 wins with McLaren at the 2012 US Grand Prix, making the Briton not only the first Formula 1 driver to win at COTA but also a repeat United States GP winner. Hamilton also won the final US Grand Prix held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007.

Joining Mercedes in 2013 then led Hamilton to dominate at COTA from 2014 until 2017 after Formula 1 introduced 1.6L V6 turbo-hybrid power units. His triumphs in Austin further made the Stevenage native the all-time most successful Formula 1 driver for the United States GP.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable US Grand Prix at COTA including Hamilton vs Rosberg spat

Hamilton’s four consecutive wins at the US Grand Prix for Mercedes from 2014 to 2017 took him above Michael Schumacher as the most successful F1 driver the race had yet seen. The German took five US Grand Prix wins at IMS whilst driving with Ferrari from 2000 until 2006.

British drivers have long enjoyed a storied relationship with the US Grand Prix as nine of the first 10 runnings yielded a British winner. Graham Hill also became the first repeat winner of the US Grand Prix with three straight victories with BRM from 1963 to 1965 at Watkins Glen.

The United States GP has seen two repeat winners as a Formula 1 race at COTA

Watkins Glen staged the United States Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980 following one-off races at Sebring and the Riverside International Raceway. The New York circuit further yielded five repeat winners thanks to Hill, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt and Carlos Reutemann.

But since the Circuit of the Americas started hosting the United States GP in 2012, only two F1 drivers have achieved repeat wins to date through Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Covid-19 restrictions meant F1 did not race at COTA in 2020, but Verstappen has dominated since.

The United States GP has seen nine F1 drivers secure repeat wins all-time

While only two drivers have sealed repeat United States Grand Prix wins at the Circuit of the Americas, Formula 1 has seen nine drivers claim multiple victories during the all-time history of the race including Hamilton’s first US Grand Prix win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Hamilton’s following wins at COTA have further moved the Briton in front of Schumacher as the most successful Formula 1 driver through the all-time history of the US Grand Prix. The German took all five of his victories at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000 to 2006.

Ayrton Senna, meanwhile, dominated on the streets of Phoenix by winning two of the three US Grand Prix the capital city of Arizona staged. Sebring and Riverside both only staging the race once, meanwhile, ensured there were no repeat US Grand Prix winners at either circuit.