Since Circuit of The America’s official track name was announced on April 12, 2011, COTA and Red Bull have a lasting partnership unlike any other. Red Bull sports have made appearances at The Circuit for various events, most notably the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas and the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. Former Red Bull F1 driver David Coulthard even took a spin at the COTA construction site before the track was done being built.
Shortly after the announcement that COTA would host the first American MotoGP World Championship, “Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas” was confirmed as the official name of the event.
“The first time I saw MotoGP live and in-person it was incredible,” Executive Vice President of Major Events Regan Holley said recounting his experiences with Red Bull over the years. “I was here for the inaugural race in 2013, but seeing the drivers up close didn’t even compare. The way they lean the bikes over 63 degrees through the turns. The riders scraping their elbows and knees at such high speeds. I was blown away.”
Not shy of the spotlight, Red Bull daredevil and street freestyle athlete Aaron Colton made a guest appearance as part of the second MotoGP ever held at The Circuit. Prior to the 2014 race commencement, Colton left his mark on the track with wheelies and burnouts as part of his street freestyle demonstrations. In 2017, members of the Red Bull Air Force Team, Miles Daisher and Jeff Provenzano, performed the first ever B.A.S.E. jump off the tower at COTA, marking the start of the MotoGP weekend.
Last year, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ranked 2nd out of twelve teams in MotoGP for the season. Over the past three seasons, the KTM team has secured six trophies, at least one per year. South Africa’s Brad Binder, AKA “Bradical,” and Australia’s Jack Miller, AKA “Thriller,” will represent the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team at this year’s Grand Prix. Binder will head into the 2023 season with a record of 17 victories, 7 pole positions, and 1 World Championship; Miller boasts a record of 10 victories and 10 pole positions.
For racing fans, Red Bull is a prominent name in Formula 1. In 2014, F1 weekend kicked off in style as past Red Bull teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel raced the 2011 championship-winning car down to the Capitol building to the roar of thousands of fans. Both put on a show down Congress Avenue before rigging one of the engines to play the U.S. national anthem.
The UK-based team is no stranger to success in the United States Grand Prix hosted at The Circuit, bringing home yet another title in the 2022 season. This past October, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen claimed his record-tying 13th win of the season at COTA. With Verstappen’s win and Red Bull’s Sergio “Checo” Perez coming in fourth place, the team clinched the Constructors’ Cup Championship.
During the 2022 USGP, the Red Bull Esports media team filmed content for the upcoming F1 Esports Series Pro Championship from COTA’s 251-foot observation deck with @F1Elly. One month later, the Oracle Red Bull Racing Esports team virtually competed at The Circuit, with driver Frede Rasmussen finishing in P5 and driver Marcel Kiefer finishing in P9.
In early February of this year, the Red Bull Racing team became the first team ever to launch their season in the United States. Announced at the livery launch in New York, Austin will be one of three locations where fans will have the chance to design the chassis and end plate raced in the USGP. Two-time champion Verstappen, team leader Checo, and reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo will make up the 2023 driving team.
Between hitting the racetrack and giving the world wings, the energy drink company puts on extreme sports competitions that are hard enough to watch, never mind compete in. COTA became the extreme sport paradise for the Summer X Games in 2016. Formerly only seen as a racetrack for Formula 1 and MotoGP, Red Bull transformed The Circuit into an extreme sports venue for skating, BMXing, enduro, and rallying.
Before the pandemic, Red Bull and COTA were heavily involved in college campuses, with pop-ups occurring regularly. Red Bull athletes could be seen driving minibikes on the University of Texas campus and racing up and down the surrounding streets. COTA looks forward to possible spontaneous activations in the future.
Red Bull continues to impress Austinites and world travelers alike at The Circuit. If you can’t get enough of Red Bull like us, join COTA at the Americas GP April 14-16 to see your favorite daredevils in action!
