The novelty of F1 at Circuit of the Americas "may have worn off," as attendance for the U.S. Grand Prix earlier this month dipped 11% when compared to the inaugural race in '12, according to Sean Shapiro of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. A reported 237,406 fans attended this month's three-day weekend event and 107,778 "watched Lewis Hamilton’s victory" at the main event on Nov. 2. In contrast, COTA "reported a Sunday crowd" of 117,429 in '12, with a weekend total of 265,499. In '13, the Sunday turnout "was still comparable to the first-year numbers, with an announced crowd of 113,162." There "was a drop in the three-day total crowd (250,324), but that had been expected" with a Univ. of Texas home football game sharing the weekend. This year, a "head-to-head matchup against a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway forced motorsports fans across the region to make a choice." F1 also "did suffer a definitive loss on television," as the race on NBC drew 788,000 viewers, down from 1.01 million in '13. COTA CEO Jason Dial called attendance "in line with expectations." He added, "Everything so far suggests an increase in out-of-state and overseas guests versus last year, emphasizing the continued interest in F1 and Austin as a destination with our national and international audience." Meanwhile, looking ahead, F1 officials "have dealt COTA a potentially difficult hand" for '15. Tentatively scheduled for Oct. 25, the U.S. Grand Prix "would run a week before F1 returned to Mexico for the first time" since '92. It is likely that the back-to-back races "would cut into the number of fans who traditionally make the trip from Mexico to Central Texas" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 11/8).
