The first Formula One race in the United States since 2007 took place on the brand new Circuit Of The Americas track outside Austin, Texas on Sunday. Prior to the race, plenty of pundits opined that some of the turns were too tight or the track was too wide or it was too 
slippery or that Pirelli brought the wrong tires for the weekend.
But when the lights went out, Formula One fans were treated to one of the best motor races ever seen on these shores. There was passing throughout the field all race long. And in the end, Lewis Hamilton relentlessly hunted Sebastien Vettel down and forced his way by into the race lead, where he remained.
The drivers and teams were unanimous in their praise of the new Circuit of the Americas facility, which has instantly become one of the world’s great race tracks. The organizers put on a brilliant show for the 130,000 fans on hand and the estimated television audience of over a billion viewers worldwide. Well done!
With Hamilton first, Vettel second and Alonso third in Austin, the battle for the World Driver’s Championship will go down to the last race next Sunday in Brazil. A Formula One fan could not ask for a better or more fitting end to an exciting season.
Rhode Trips 
I enjoyed your article on the Circuit of the Americas 2012 race! What, in your opinion, made this such a good track for passing? And why did Pirelli make such a tremendous error in the tyres it brought? Will we get the same competition next week in Brazil?
Thanks for your comment, Carlos. The Austin track is unusually wide heading into several turns. This allows drivers to dive toward the inside of the corner, forcing the leading driver to run wide and leaving space for the following car to pass. This happens primarily at Turn One, the fabulous rising corner just after the start, and again at the Hairpin in the middle of the lap.
Pirelli didn’t make a mistake with its tire choice so much as it took a very conservative approach. Since no cars had ever raced on this track before, there was absolutely no data on which to base a forecast about tire wear during the race. We can be pretty sure Pirelli will opt for softer tires in 2013.
As for the next race in Brazil, remember this is the track where Felipe Massa first won the WDC on the final lap of the final race of the season, only to lose it a moment later by one point as Lewis Hamilton slithered by another car on the very last corner in the rain. Wet tracks make for exciting, unpredictable racing and anything can happen next weekend. Which is why every Formua One fan everywhere will be glued to the television screen for the entire race. Can’t wait!