Austin never disappoints. With cowboy hats, star-studded guests and a paddock full of Texan flair, the 2025 United States Grand Prix weekend was as lively off the track as it was on it during this bumper Sprint weekend.<\/p>\n
From drivers embracing their inner cowboys<\/a> to Hollywood A-listers and record-breaking athletes lighting up the paddock, here are some of the standout moments you might have missed at the Circuit of The Americas \u2013 yeehaw!<\/p>\n Drivers going full Texan<\/p>\n Each year when Formula 1 heads to COTA, you can always count on the grid to get into the spirit. Again, this year the drivers went all in \u2013 cowboy hats, BBQ, dirt bikes and all the frills. When F1\u2019s resident cowboy, Daniel Ricciardo<\/a>, left the grid, some wondered who would carry the Texan torch in the paddock and keep the magic alive. But it turns out plenty of the current crop have happily stepped into the boots.<\/p>\n With an allergy previously keeping him away, Lewis Hamilton<\/a> was able to swap his horsepower for the real thing, trying out horse riding for the very first time (and mind you \u2013 he looked impressively at home in the saddle).<\/p>\n Championship leader Oscar Piastri<\/a> kept it relaxed and made sure to sample some proper Texas barbecue, the Aussie suggesting that he \u201ccould get used to Austin\u201d, while Lando Norris<\/a> took a more on-brand high-energy approach, jumping in a Hoonitruck and hopping on dirt bikes for some pre-weekend fun.<\/p>\n By Thursday, the paddock was already starting to look like a rodeo, with some of the drivers even heading out to local boot stores to complete their cowboy transformations. Liam Lawson<\/a> proudly showed off his new cowboy gear entering the paddock, as did Pierre Gasly<\/a> \u2013 both nailing the Western look like they\u2019d been locals all along!<\/p>\n However, there was one member of the paddock who took to the Austin vibe like a duck to water… little Leo Leclerc stole the show yet again!<\/p>\n Yuki the personal trainer<\/p>\n Yuki Tsunoda<\/a> had a little company for his pre-race weekend warm-up as he dropped into a nearby F45 gym to join \u2013 and at times lead \u2013 a workout class. Vibes were high, smiles all round, and being a motivator is clearly another addition to Tsunoda\u2019s growing list of talents.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s just hope it wasn\u2019t an early-morning session \u2013 after all, Tsunoda\u2019s previously admitted that early morning workouts can ruin his day! Clearly, though, this one worked a treat, as the Red Bull driver went on to score points in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Celeb spotting<\/p>\n Everything\u2019s bigger in Texas, including the COTA guest list. The United States Grand Prix once again brought out a glittering mix of stars from music, film and sport.<\/p>\n Actors Glen Powell and Matthew McConaughey returned to their home state and spent much of the weekend trackside mixing it with the drivers and teams, while Chase Crawford spent his time with Red Bull<\/a>, and Adele had a blast in the Mercedes<\/a> garage.<\/p>\n They weren\u2019t the only famous faces either, as plenty of athletes swarmed into the paddock \u2013 Olympic swimmer and record holder Leon Marchand, World Champion decathlete Leo Neugebauer, and track and field power couple Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall were all spotted soaking up the atmosphere and presenting the podium sitters with their trophies after the Sprint.<\/p>\n Country music had its moment too, as it took centre stage over the course of the weekend. Drake Milligan kicked off the inaugural Grid Gigs<\/a> with a performance of his hits, and rising star Shaboozey had the honour of waving the chequered flag as the drivers concluded their race. Meanwhile, Warren Zeiders and Kane Brown were spotted enjoying the weekend, wandering round the paddock and in and out of garages.<\/p>\n Helmet watch: Austin edition<\/p>\n When it comes to one-off helmet design, the US Grand Prix always inspires something special \u2013 and this weekend continued the trend. Plenty of teams unveiled one-off liveries and race suits to mark the occasion, but some drivers \u2013 especially the McLaren<\/a> duo \u2013 two-stepped even further.<\/p>\n Norris went for a playful twist on a beloved American sport, showing off a bright and bold football jersey-themed design that quickly became a fan favourite. Piastri kept things cool with a circuit board-inspired lid, nodding to both McLaren\u2019s tech sponsors and Austin\u2019s ‘Silicon Hills’ hub.<\/p>\n And for Haas<\/a>, their home race called for something special, as Ollie Bearman<\/a> ran with a bold, stars-and-stripes design that made him easy to spot for the plenty of home-team fans as he held onto a fantastic points position.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Austin never disappoints. 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