The COTA Turn 15 grandstands line the ‘stadium’ section of the track and look over a number of crucial corners that frequently see a lot of overtaking and action.
This natural amphitheatre provides a great atmosphere for fans and is often a favourite place to sit.
There are two separate grandstands at Turn 15. This article provides a guide to help you choose where to sit with example views, a grandstand seating chart and more information about the nearby facilities at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Contents
What is the Turn 15 grandstand at COTA?
Turn 15 at COTA actually has two separate grandstands. The smaller of the two is known as the corner grandstand and the larger one is known as the main grandstand.
To sit in either Turn 15 grandstand you must pre-purchase tickets and reserve your specific seats in advance. When you purchase grandstand seat ticket you also get full access to all of the general admission spectator areas.
The two grandstands at Turn 15 are present all year round and available to reserve seats in for most large motorsport events at Circuit of the Americas including the Formula One, Nascar Cup Series and MotoGP amongst others.
COTA Turn 15 grandstand Tickets
Turn 15 is a super popular grandstand and tickets often sell out fast for the F1 at COTA.
So I’d recommend buying tickets on StubHub instead, where there’s a huge number of US GP tickets currently for sale. Plus they have more single-day ticket options.
I’ve used StubHub for F1 tickets a number of times in the last 12 months, including when I went to the Grand Prix in Vegas, and have always had a great experience using them.
Their FanProtect guarantee is very robust and will always protect your money and tickets.
Where are the Turn 15 grandstands?
The corner grandstand at Turn 15 is right on the outside of the circuit at the apex of the corner. Turn 15 is pretty much a hairpin bend, so the grandstand sits on the outside of that.
The main grandstand is also on the outside of the track (right-hand side) but is much bigger, so runs alongside the track edge between turns 15 and 16.
Both grandstand back on to the Germania Amphitheatre which hosts the Sunday night Austin F1 concert after the Grand Prix is over.
The two grandstands are angled slightly differently. The corner grandstand is rotated a little more inwards towards the infield section and the main grandstand is directly parallel to the short straight between 15 and 16.
One important thing to remember; when you sit in either Turn 15 grandstand the sun is behind you most of the time, so it’s not blasting you in the face all day long. A massive bonus when compared to the COTA Turn 12 grandstand which is orientated differently.
COTA Turn 15 grandstand view
Corner grandstand - sections 1 to 7
The corner grandstand at Turn 15 has the best views of either grandstand of the back straight and the run in to Turn 12.
The lower your section number the further to the left in this stand you sit, and the more you can see down the back straight. Row numbers are lowest at the front of the stand and highest at the back.
Turn 12 is often one of the best spots on the track for overtaking; the back straight is three quarters of a mile long and slipstreaming or DRS in the F1 races always help promote passing opportunities.
In addition you can see the whole stadium section of Turns 13, 14 and 15, and you will lose the cars out of sight just as they enter Turn 16.
The image below is from section 1 in the corner grandstand at Turn 15, just about as far to the left as you can get.
The image below is from section 7, as far to the right in this grandstand as you can get.
The video below was filmed from section 1 in the corner grandstand, so as far to the left as you can get, and from row 12. It gives the longest view down the back straight.
This next video was filmed from the Turn 15 corner grandstand in section 4, so pretty much in the middle, and a few rows higher up. The video description says row 11 but that isn’t correct. It was filmed from the red seats which make up the top 5 rows of the grandstand.
Main grandstand - sections 8 to 25
The COTA Turn 15 main grandstand is slightly further to the right so even from the extreme left hand side you don’t have such a good view down the back straight.
The image below is from section 9 row 22, so almost as far to the left as you can get in this stand. Looking slightly to the right you can see the whole infield section.
These next images was taken from from section 16 row 22, so pretty central in the stand.
And this image was taken from section 25 row 22, so as far to the right as you can get.
The video below provides a pretty good guide to the main grandstand at Turn 15, and shows views from a number of different places.
It also shows that if you sit too low down near the front, you are behind the catch fencing and your view is very limited. You’re not high enough to see over the infield barriers to the other parts of the stadium section.
This next video was filmed from the very top of the grandstand when stood on the very top platform above the top row.
It shows that if you are high enough and far enough to the right, not only can you see the whole infield section but you can also see other parts of the track.
If you’re stood up at the back of the stand on the top platform you can look behind it and see Turns 1 and 2, but you can’t do that from seats, even the top row.
From high enough seats you can, however, see across the track to parts of the ‘esses’ and turn 6, as well as turn 9. These are quite a way in the distance so a pair of binoculars would definitely help.
The image below shows the parts of the track that are visible from both COTA Turn 15 grandstands highlighted in green. This is assuming you are sat high enough to see over the infield barriers.
The map below doesn’t include the other sections of track (such as the ‘esses’ or Turn 9) as you need to be in the top few rows to see those.
COTA Turn 15 general admission viewing
There is no general admission viewing area to the left of the Turn 15 grandstands as this area is taken up with VIP hospitality tents.
The closest GA viewing area is to the right of the main grandstand, on the inside (right hand side) of Turn 16, just after the bridge and near the base of the COTA tower.
See our detailed COTA general admission viewing guide for more info on where else to watch from.
COTA Turn 15 grandstand facilities
- The Turn 15 grandstands at COTA are not covered. They’re completely open to the elements with no shade, so make sure you bring adequate sun protection.
- There is a toilet block directly behind the grandstand.
- The seats are full chairs with a folding base, fixed seat back, cupholders and armrests.
- The Grand Plaza is directly behind the grandstands which has countless food and drink vendors.
- There are two giant TVs visible. There is one to the left of the corner grandstand, and one on the other side of the track just before the bridge on the entry to Turn 16. If you’re sat in the middle of the main grandstand you’ll be further away from both of these.
COTA Turn 15 seating chart
Enter your name and email in the boxes below and the hi-res COTA grandstand seating charts will be sent to your inbox. These will include all details of row and seat numbers. The files are too big to host here!
In both stands the lowest row at the front is row number 1. In the corner stand the back row is row 34 and in the main grandstand it’s row 35. There is also a Row AC in the main stand for disabled viewing.
Is Turn 15 at Circuit of the Americas a good place to sit?
The Turn 15 grandstands at COTA are a fantastic place to sit and are always some of the first stands to sell out. They have a great view of the stadium section where there’s always lots of overtaking, plus a bit of the back straight and maybe some of the other parts of the track if you’re high enough.
Their orientation creates a natural amphitheatre and the atmosphere here is sometimes the best at the whole circuit.
Sitting high at Turn 15 is key. You want to be elevated enough so that you can see the whole stadium section.
My suggestion would be rows 20 and up, but in all honesty the higher the better. The ticket pricing reflects this though, so the higher you sit the more you’ll have to pay.
Try and avoid the seats directly behind the gaps shows in the seating plan. These are the staircases and if you’re in a row that’s directly behind these your view can be compromised by the railings.
The PA speaker system is normally pretty good in both of the Turn 15 grandstands, much more so than a number of the other stands. Plus you’re a stone’s throw from the food and drinks stalls at the Grand Plaza.
The COTA Turn 15 grandstands have a lot going for them. I would chose these over the Turn 12 stands as they have a better view of the stadium section and the sun is behind you. The only other stand that comes close to have the same level of circuit coverage is the COTA Turn 1 grandstand.
Closest parking lots
Parking lots C and E are closest to the grandstand at Turn 15, near the main entrance.
See our detailed COTA parking guide for more info and other options.
Other COTA grandstands
Below are detailed guides to all other grandstands at COTA:
Great info! What’s the highest row number at the turn 15 grandstands?
The top row has been Row 35 in previous years.
Great info! thank you! Is it possible to go from here to the podium at the end of the race?
Hi Christian, it’s a bit of a walk from the Turn 15 stands. You’d have to leave your seat probably 30 to 45 minutes before the end of the race and start walking over to the start finish straight to get a good spot to view the podium on the track invasion.
Do you know much about the new Turn 13 seats and views?
It’s a 5 section grandstand. Each section is 15 rows high. The top few rows will be shaded. The view will be kind of similar to the view in this video (it’s old but it’s a very similar vantage point): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8u-KxAx4AA
Hi Alex – such a great website. Thank you for putting in so much effort to help others! We’ll be at COTA this year and have purchased a package with F1 Experiences which includes T15 main grandstand seats in the “mid” rows. (Looking at COTA website that seems to be rows 13-24.) Unfortunately we have no control over which seats are allocated to us, but they can put a note on my booking with a ‘request’.
Having read all your info, watched videos, etc, it looks like sections 10-14 or 10-15 would be great to see the cars slightly slower as they come around T15, and of course as high a row as possible. What do you think? Or is being in a higher row further along the straight better than lower row in the sections I’ve mentioned?
Thanks! This is our first GP and we’re travelling over from New Zealand so I really want it to be awesome!
Hi Kerryn, personally I’d go for the lower section numbers so you get a better chance of seeing some of Turn 12 at the end of the back straight as that’s a poular overtaking spot at the end of a DRS zone. I’d aim for section 8 or 9 and yep, high row numbers sound good! All the best, hope you have a great time!
Got our seat allocation the other day. Row 18 – which is great, except that we’re in Section 19…
You’ll still have a great time!