F1 Race COTA?

Are you a member of The Ferrari Club of America/FCA? There will be a broadcast email to the club with F1 race details very shortly.( Group ticket sales in sections 12 & 15, hotel links and Gala information- see below)

If like past events, there will be buses from downtown Austin. COTA has parking lots that you have to pay for and they sell out, so grab a space early if you plan to drive. There is an Uber and Lyft drop-off point as well. Or, you can fire up your helicopter as there are helipads (j/k).

Places: There are lots of hotels in downtown Austin, but book early as they fill up fast. There are a bunch of hotels near the airport as well. Just east of Austin and 15 minutes from the track is the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort. First class place.

The Ferrari Club will be sponsoring an F1 Gala on Friday evening, October 22nd at the Austin Country Club. Its always a sell out and we always have a special guest or two along with musical entertainment. A grand evening.

ps... I used to work at the big electronics place there in Linthicum.

 

If what you want as far as hotels in the airport area and DT are booked up and you have a car, I have found going north on on 130 (Texas Autobahn) is pretty effective. You'll have to travel 20 miles or so, but except for Sunday after the race it's smooth sailing.....traffic usually moves at 90 or so. It's pretty easy access to go over to 35 to head downtown or that route to the track also, but the track is right off 130. Going south to Buda for a place to stay is a possibility also.
All that said...a place with a shuttle bus in the best. The fact half the people are there sometimes for the after race concert (Taylor Swift, etc) makes it easier, but traffic leaving Sunday and to some extent Saturday is alway terrible. Parking with a car is expensive.....30-50 bucks and some of the lots are dusty.

 

I'm a big fan of the seats in turns 12-15. You can see a lot of the action and have a view of the front side of the track as well. I always stay on the North side of Austin, but I live in Dallas so come into town and leave in that direction. Plus as mentioned, the Texas Autobahn makes getting to and from extremely easy and the speed limit is a legit 80mph. I've already booked hotels this year in The Domain area. Lots of restaurants and bars nearby assuming we're back to "normal".

 

Oh yeah, BUY PARKING! It seems they always run out and if you decide not to use it, you can easily sell for as much as you paid. Buy the best you’re willing to afford, it’s worth it.

 

Just secured tickets at the top of Turn 12 in the Ferrari-club section. For those who go to the race, let's keep in touch. It's always nice to put a face to a handle.

 

The first year at Cota, our Ferrari Club tickets were the last row of the Turn 12 seating. It was awesome, as you could lean against the fence behind the seats, had a nice breeze, got great shots of the cars decelerating from 200 mph into the 60 mph turn, and you could see Austin off in the distance. We were down lower the next year, and not as good an experience.

After doing COTA 3 times, I think I am done. The F/chat party year was fun !

 

I've realized that maybe we haven't helped the OP very much.

I've never flown in for the race so I'm speaking from the experience of "local" and I have a car.

Austin is a big place and can be a little tough to navigate, even with Waze. If you're staying downtown, you have access to a lot of restaurants/entertainment/hotels and may not need a car. There are shuttles that run from downtown to the track regularly. I have NO experience but am sure you can find info online. I'd suggest that a downtown hotel will be the only real scenario where you won't need a car. Expect hotel prices to be a bit higher and you may have some logistical problems on race day if you plan to fly out Sunday night. You'll have to walk to the shuttle, wait for the shuttle, ride the shuttle (in traffic) back downtown, get to your hotel to get your stuff from the concierge, get a cab/uber and get back to the airport. It will take hours. If you leave Monday, that will simplify it.

If you get a car, you can come and go as you please. Yes, you'll have to pay for parking. You'll have to pay the tolls to use the Texas Autobahn. (It's not really called that!). But you can stay other places that have more reasonably priced hotels. You could even fly in and out of San Antonio if the flights/car rental rates are significantly cheaper. You can go to downtown Austin for one night of your stay, you can attend the FCA event another night without spending $$$ on Ubers. You can even go to Lockhart, TX for the best BBQ you'll ever eat at Kreuz Market. I do that after Practice on Saturday. Leave the track, drive 40 minutes, eat myself sick, go back to the track, watch the concert. The parking pass has in/out access.

 

There's usually a Lambo car reveal or something like it going on during the race weekend at the 4 Seasons Hotel on the river in downtown. Also, the scenery at the bar area there has always been outstanding.

 

FCA Dinner is a must, contact Andy Fish (or thru the Hill Country Chapter website.)

I have lost my place on Congress, to stay, but have some alternates.
As always I'm available to meet and cram as many in my Caddy as will fit!

I may possibly have a Volunteer Credential but Lot A is the Main Grandstand, Lot N goes with Turn 1 seats.
I know the shuttles get huge promotion, but a cab or Uber out to the Drop Lot (LONG walk into Main Plaza Entry!) is a much faster "from town" alternative...

I knew one important guest who MISSED half of the race, when he was late leaving downtown, the 2019 event was a sell out of reserved seats, and he finally found a pedicab to bring him in from God knows where. As mentioned, if first time you should just hire me, to drive you around!!!

If enough are interested I could rent a van and wear a jaunty cap to drive it....
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