Image credit Razalass
The COTA Turn 9 grandstand / bleachers are the second highest view point at the Circuit of the Americas. This is a fan-favourite place to watch from as their elevated vantage point gives spectators a view covering no less than 6 corners.
This article provides a guide to spectating at Turn 9, including example views from the bleachers, a seating chart, nearby circuit facilities and more info.
Contents
What is the Turn 9 grandstand at COTA?
The COTA Turn 9 grandstand is a large raised set of bleachers for spectators who have pre-purchased premium reserved seats, specifically for this seating area.
This huge set of bleachers is normally only available for the Formula One event. It wasn’t present during the 2023 EchoPark Nascar Cup series race at COTA, and nor are you able to buy tickets for this stand for the 2023 MotoGP.
The Turn 9 bleachers are available for the 2023 Formula One race in Austin.
COTA Turn 9 grandstand Tickets
Turn 9 is a popular place to sit at the US Grand Prix at COTA, so tickets can often sell out.
So I’d recommend buying tickets on StubHub, where there’s a massive inventory of US GP tickets for sale. Plus there’s more options for single-day tickets.
I’ve used StubHub for F1 grand prix tickets a few times in the last 18 months, including when I went to the GP in Vegas, and have always had very good experiences.
Their FanProtect guarantee is very robust and will protect you money / tickets.
Where is the Turn 9 grandstand?
The COTA Turn 9 grandstand is located on the outside (right-hand side) of the circuit between corners 9 and 10. It’s raised high off the ground and is the second highest spectator viewing point at the circuit, after the COTA Turn 1 grandstand.
The Turn 9 bleachers run parallel to the track and are pretty close to the catch fence. There’s no large run-off area separating the stand from the track, just a narrow gravel trap on the exit of the corner.
These bleachers are also directly across from the Germania Super Stage lawn on the inside of the track.
This is where the Austin F1 concerts will be held on Friday and Saturday evening, so you’re perfectly placed for those.
COTA Turn 9 grandstand view
The Turn 9 bleachers give an amazing view covering a big chunk of the track, one of the reasons they’re a fan favourite and tickets often sell out fast.
As you look to your left from the stand you can see the cars coming around turns 6 and 7 and running up the hill to Turn 8. Depending where you’re sat in the stand, Turn 9 will either be right in front of you or just off to the left as well.
The cars will run straight past you before heading through turns 10 and 11 to your right. If you sit too low down in the stand and too far to the right, there is a risk your view of turn 11 will be blocked by the base of the bridge which they covered with black sheeting in 2022. So hedge your bets and sit higher up and a bit more central.
As the Turn 9 bleachers are so far off the ground you can also see a good chunk of the back straight. The higher your seats are, the more of it you can see. If you’re high enough you’ll be able to catch most of it plus the run in to Turn 12, but that’s a way off in the distance so a pair of binoculars will help.
I would try and sit as high up and central in this section as possible. That gives you an equal distance view to Turn 6 on your left and Turn 11 on your right, plus being high means you see as much as possible of the back straight.
The map below shows the areas of the track that are visible from the COTA Turn 9 bleachers highlighted in green. The back straight is a fainter shade of green as it’s not as visible from the lowest seats.
The video below provides a great example of the view from the grandstand. This guy is seated just to the right of centre.
This video provides a view from section 2 which is the second section from the left. The viewing position is slightly lower down but it shows how much of the back straight can still be seen.
And this one is filmed from section 1, as far to the left as you can get.
COTA Turn 9 general admission viewing
The view from the Turn 9 bleachers is so good because of their elevated vantage point. Spectating directly in front of the stand is possible but not really worth it as you can only really see Turn 9, 10 and the run towards 11.
There are COTA general admission viewing areas either side of the stand. GA Viewing 1 on the map below gives views of turns 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
GA Viewing 2 to the right of the stand is best the closer you get to Turn 11. From the start of the viewing area to roughly where the end of the text on the image is, there’s a bit of a dip meaning you can barely see over the barriers.
The ground raises up close to the hairpin of Turn 11 so it’s much better down there, but your view is still pretty limited to 10 and 11.
COTA Turn 9 grandstand facilities
- The Turn 9 bleachers at COTA are not covered. They’re completely open to the elements with no shade, so make sure you bring adequate sun protection.
- There are toilet blocks either side of the bleachers.
- In 2022 there was a fully stocked bar, water station and merchandise stall just behind the grandstand. For more food vendors the La Cantina area on the outside of Turn 6 is only a few minutes’ walk away.
- Direct access to the infield stage after the race via the bridge over Turn 10.
- The seats are bleachers. If you want a backrest then you need the back row where you can lean up against the fence.
- There is one giant screen on the opposite side of the track, most easily viewed from a central, or just off-centre to the right position.
COTA Turn 9 seating chart
Enter your name and email in the boxes below and the hi-res COTA Turn 9 grandstand seating chart will be sent to your inbox. The file is too big to host here!
Is Turn 9 at Circuit of the Americas a good place to sit?
The Turn 9 bleachers are always a fan-favourite and often sell out very quickly for the F1. The elevated view, the second highest at the circuit after the COTA Turn 1 grandstand, gives a great vantage point across a wide range of corners.
Turns 7, 8 and 9 are often a good spot for overtaking. The slow and tight nature of these corners, linked in quick succession, lend themselves well to passing moves as drivers can often set up an overtake one or two corners before it happens.
Once the cars exit Turn 9 you’ll get to experience their acceleration as they go wide-open throttle for a long period through turn 10 down to 11. You don’t get to see the cars cornering at their fastest, as you would in the COTA Turn 6 infield grandstand, but sitting here does give you a chance to witness a nice variety of car dynamics.
Plus, if you’re interested in attending the music after the event then you’re in prime position to hop over the Turn 10 bridge and be at the stage in just a couple of minutes.
Overall the Turn 9 bleachers are a fantastic place to sit and often more reasonably priced than some of the full grandstands. Well worth trying to get tickets here.
Closest parking lots
Parking lot N is the closest to this stand, followed by M. Our COTA parking guide has more details.
See our guide on the COTA entrances for info on which is the best to entrance gate to use to get here.
Other COTA grandstands
Below are detailed guides to all other grandstands at COTA:
Can you bring your own folding bleacher chair/cushions or do you have to rent at the venue for turn 9?
You can bring your own cushion for the bleachers but you can’t use chairs on the bleachers. If you have General Admission tickets you can bring folding chairs to sit on the grass.