COTA to Build Additional Pit Garages for 2026

Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI

Circuit of The Americas will extend its current pit lane with the construction of four additional garages in time for next year’s Lone Star Le Mans, in order to accommodate the increased grid in Formula 1 as well as the FIA World Endurance Championship.

COTA’s VP of Motorsports Andy Soucek revealed to Sportscar365 that construction the current pit lane, which currently features 34 garages, will expand because of the arrival of Cadillac as an 11th team in Formula 1 next year, which is understood to have been stipulated by the sanctioning agreement with F1.

It will also have a positive effect for the WEC, as the Austin venue, along with Fuji Speedway, understood to have been the limiting factor in expanding the grid for the globe-trotting sports car championship beyond its current self-imposed limit 40 cars.

“We have two more cars in F1, so there’s a need to extend our pit building, so yes, it’s happening for next year,” Soucek told Sportscar365.

“That’s the intention for next year, that WEC can benefit from that build. They’re also adding more manufacturers to the championship.

“With the likes of Genesis, Ford and McLaren in the future, the expansion is very much needed for them as well. It serves everybody.

“We’re in a good position in terms of the motorsports community because every category is just growing.

“It’s a good problem to have. The good thing about construction in America, if you look around you, you’ll see a lot going on. They make things happen in very short times.

“I’m confident we’ll have them for next year.”

Soucek explained that the expansion will come at pit-out, where current office space will be rebuilt into the four new garage stalls.

“We have a building there that’s our office space right now,” he said. “But it takes up what the four additional garages would take in terms of space.

“So it’s just a matter of reconditioning that whole part and just extending.

“I think when they designed it back then; it was already the idea that if we need to, there’s the capability to do so at that specific part of the building, which is great because you don’t need to attach anything to the current building.

“You [basically] just renovate the interior.”

The WEC has utilized reduced-sized garages in the last two editions of the Lone Star Le Mans, which each featured 36-car grids.

That number is expected to expand to 38 cars next year with the addition of Genesis Magma Racing, and potentially surpass 40 with the already announced Hypercar efforts from Ford and McLaren that are both due to debut in 2027.

Another circuit that was at or near the WEC’s capacity, Imola, added three new garages this year as part of its long-term contract with the world championship, while Fuji has 34 primary garages and an annex that can hold up to 11 more cars.

Soucek said that additional garage space has been an “active conversation” with the WEC in helping ensure a long-term future for the series at the facility.

“They say, ‘We need more space.’ Finally, we’ve got it so we feel confident,” he added.

“The championship is growing year over year, especially here in the U.S., which is an important market for every manufacturer.

“If you think about all of the manufacturers that you see here, let alone the Americans, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Ford, if you look at the Europeans, the share of the market is huge.

“It’s a very important place to be and we feel privileged to be able to host them.

“There are a lot of good tracks in the U.S. and to bring them to COTA, year after year and have that consistency since the new era of the Hypercar, as we know it.

“A lot of fans showed up [last year]. It was a great race and a lot of fun to watch. It had very good PR coverage, and all of a sudden, everybody realized, ‘We need to do more.’

“This year we can see more and next year, I’m hopeful it will grow even more.”

Soucek: New COTA Theme Park to Increase Fan Activities, Cross-Promotion

In addition to the garage additions, COTA is currently undergoing significant construction work on COTALAND, a theme park that will sit adjacent to the circuit.

Soucek said the park, which plans to be open daily for ten months each year, will feature 35 rides including four roller-coasters, one of which will be built above COTA Boulevard Road.

“I think it’s going to work very well with the track,” he said. “A lot of people are going to come to the amusement park for that thrill will then realize that there’s a race going on and they’re going to purchase tickets.

“We can do packages were people can buy a ticket and maybe do both.

“It’s the other way around as well. Somebody that comes to the track will have the opportunity to bring the family to the amusement park and can split the day, spend 4-5 hours at the track and then go to the park.

“To make everything co-exist is what we’re working on now because we’re in that build phase but we’ve got a great team that’s working on everything to make sure both events can co-exist.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John