The USGP, home to this weekend round of the 2017 F1 Championship has an impressive reputation ever since COTA hosted its first race there in 2012.

The Austin track is fast becoming one of the flagship events on the Formula One calendar with a buzzing host city that has plenty going on for fans and teams to enjoy, and a great atmosphere thanks to the Austinites that really embrace the Formula 1 circus coming to town every year.

Here are a few interesting facts and figures about the upcoming eventโ€ฆ.

Race name United States Grand Prix

Circuit nameย Circuit of The Americas

First race 2012

Start time 14:00hrs local/20:00hrs BST/21:00 CET

Previous winnersย 

2016 Lewis Hamilton

2015 Lewis Hamilton

2014 Lewis Hamilton

Track length 5.513km/3.427 miles (9th longest track of the year โ€“ longest: Spa-Francorchamps, shortest: Monaco)

2016 pole position Lewis Hamilton, 1m34.999s

2016 fastest lap Sebastian Vettel, 1m39.877s (lap 55)

Lap record 1:39.347s (Sebastian Vettel, 2012)

Qualifying lap record: Lewis Hamilton 1:34.999, set in 2016 with Mercedes in Q3
Pit lane speed limit: 80 kph (50 mph)

Pitlane length/Pitstops 385m/0.239 miles (longest of the season: Silverstone, 457m/0.283 miles). It takes 20s to make a stop

Distance to Turn Oneย 280m/0.174 miles (longest of season: Barcelona 730m/0.454 miles)

Longest straightย 1090m/0.677 miles, on the approach to Turn 12 (longest of the season: Baku, 2.1km/1.305 miles)

Top speed 320km/h/199mph, on the approach to Turn 12 (fastest of season: Monza, 360km/h/224mph)

Full throttle 63 per cent (highest of the season: Monza, 75 per cent)

Brakewear Medium. There are 10 braking zones, but only four of them are significant

Fuel consumptionย 1.8kg per lap, which is average

Tyre choice Purple Ultrasoft, red Supersoft and yellow Soft โ€“ the eighth time this combination has been used in 2017

ERS demands Medium. ERS is deployed for around 35 per cent of the lap

Gear changes 54 per lap/3,024 per race

Lapsย 56

Grid advantage Pole position is on the right-hand side of the grid, on the racing line. There's more grip available here, but Turn One is a left-hander and it's important to cover off the inside line after the start

DRS There are two DRS zones, on the approaches to Turns One and 12

History lesson The United States Grand Prix has a long and varied history. The race has been staged at 10 different venues since it was first included on the World Championship calendar in 1959, but the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is the first purpose-built track for Formula 1.

City Austin

Time zone BST-6/CET-7

Population 800,000

How far? Austin is 8,046km (5,000 miles) from the McLaren Technology Centre

Surprising factย Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. During late summer bat numbers peak at 1.5 million

Local speciality Austin is as cosmopolitan as it gets in Texas, with food staples from around the world. But if you want to try a local speciality, look no further than Texas-style barbecue โ€“ beef cooked on a wood-based barbecue and eaten with lots of spices and sauces. Texas toast is a delicious side dish โ€“ grilled white bread with butter and garlic

Weather During the course of the United States Grand Prix, lows will range from 16-20 degrees Celsius (60-68 degrees Fahrenheit) to highs of 28-30 degrees Celsius (82-86 degrees Fahrenheit). Relative humidity ranges from 37 percent (comfortable) to 92 percent (very humid), with a dew point varying from 7 degrees Celsius/44 degrees Fahrenheit (dry) to 18 degrees Celsius/64 degrees Fahrenheit (mildly humid). The dew point is rarely below 2 degrees Celsius/35 degrees Fahrenheit (dry) or above 22 degrees Celsius/71 degrees Fahrenheit (very muggy). Typical wind speeds vary from 0- 24kph/0-15 mph (calm to moderate breeze), rarely exceeding 31 kph/19 mph (fresh breeze).

Don't put the kettle onโ€ฆThis race has traditionally been won using a two-stop strategy, with the winner pitting on or around laps 11 and 31. But Pirelli have gone one step softer with their compound choices this year, which could result in more pitstops if there are no Safety Cars

Safety Car likelihood 50 per cent. There's been plenty of incident and accident over the years, but wide run-off areas and efficient marshalling reduces the need for a Safety Car

A lap: Contrast best describes a lap around COTA. It is a counter-clockwise circuit โ€“ one of only five on the 20-race Formula One calendar, joining Azerbaijan, Singapore, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Just 14 percent of a lap around COTA is spent under braking, with drivers at full throttle for nearly 60 percent of their lap. High speed and rapid changes of direction comprise the layout between turns two and 10, with this first sector akin to the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex at Silverstone Circuit in England. The end of the lap from turn 12 through turn 20 before hitting the frontstretch features low-speed combinations of mainly second-gear corners. The long backstraight, however, prevents teams from running maximum downforce as drivers want to retain as much speed as possible to either attack or defend through the tight turn 12. This corner, along with the uphill run to turn one and the hairpin in turn 11, provide good passing opportunities.

DYK... The United States Grand Prix dates back to 1950 when the Indianapolis 500 counted as a round of the world championship. Eleven times from 1950 to 1960, points scored at Indy were added to a Formula One driver's season tally. And in 1959 America hosted two Formula One races when in addition to Indianapolis, the United States Grand Prix was held at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway. It served as the ninth and final round of the 1959 season. In 1960, Formula One moved to Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway before finally settling down for a 20-year tenure at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International from 1961 to 1980. From 1976 to 1980, Watkins Glen was joined by Long Beach, California, on the Formula One schedule, with the United States Grand Prix West taking place until 1983. After Watkins Glen fell off the calendar, Las Vegas took its place for two seasons (1981-1982) with the Caesars Palace Grand Prix being held on its hotel parking lot. In 1982, America hosted three Formula One races when in addition to Long Beach and Las Vegas, Detroit was added to the schedule. Detroit hosted Formule One on a bumpy street circuit for seven years, with its last grand prix coming in 1988. Dallas made a one-race appearance in 1984 when Fair Park was converted to a Formula One circuit for the Dallas Grand Prix. Phoenix was next up for Formula One from 1989 to 1991 before a nine-year absence of the sport from America's shores. But then Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George built a road course within the confines of the historic 2.5-mile oval and Formula One returned with the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis from 2000 to 2007. Sadly, Formula One in America fell off the calendar again. It wasn't until COTA was constructed in 2011, becoming the first purpose-built Formula One facility in the United States, that Formula One was able to return to America with the 2012 United States Grand Prix. Since then, COTA has been America's one and only home for Formula One.

Watch out forโ€ฆAlterations to the pre-race build-up. The pitlane will open 15 minutes earlier than usual to allow time for legendary announcer Michael Buffer to introduce all 20 drivers on the grid