COTA trips over F1 history with Andretti Corner plaque blunder

In the pantheon of racing blunders, few have the staying power of a typo etched in bronze. Yet, during the US Grand Prix weekend, the Circuit of the Americas managed to immortalize one of its own – quite literally – with a plaque at Turn 20 that got America’s F1 history awkwardly wrong.

As part of its celebration renaming Turn 20 the ‘Andretti Corner’, COTA unveiled a handsome new plate honoring Mario Andretti, the 1978 Formula 1 World Champion and all-around American motorsport icon.

There was just one small issue: the inscription proudly proclaimed the living legend as “the only American to win the Formula One World Championship.”

Cue the collective groan of every motorsport historian, trivia buff, and keyboard warrior from Indianapolis to Imola. Because, of course, Andretti is not the only American to win the F1 title.

That distinction is shared with Phil Hill, who did it first — way back in 1961 with Ferrari.

It took about 30 seconds for eagle-eyed fans to notice the error, and social media duly erupted with fact-checks, screenshots, and the kind of gleeful mockery reserved for podium mix-ups and team radio blunders.

One fan summed it up best: “COTA has apparently decided Phil Hill never existed. Bold move.”

Right Spirit – Wrong Facts

The irony runs deep. Phil Hill, born in Miami and raised in California, remains the first and only American-born driver to win the Formula 1 World Championship.

Mario, though an American citizen and a towering figure in U.S. racing, was born in Montona, Italy (now Motovun, Croatia) and only immigrated to America in 1955.

So yes – America has two world champions. And somehow, COTA managed to forget one of them while installing a permanent monument to celebrate national motorsport heritage.

To be fair, the intent behind ‘Andretti Corner’ is unassailable. The 85-year-old’s racing résumé reads like a motorsport fantasy wish list: a Formula 1 World Championship, victory at the Indy 500, a Daytona 500 win, three triumphs at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and an IndyCar Series championship for good measure.

Mario is racing royalty, and his name absolutely deserves to sit proudly at the final turn of America’s premier F1 circuit. But even he likely raised an eyebrow at COTA’s clumsy oversight.

• Read also: Andretti has ‘lost faith’ in Vasseur but backs Ferrari to rise again

After all, he’s never been shy about acknowledging the man who paved the way. Phil Hill wasn’t just a statistical footnote — he was a refined, soft-spoken craftsman who conquered Europe when few Americans dared, claiming three Grand Prix wins, the world title and three victories at Le Mans along the way.

For a track that prides itself on celebrating racing culture, leaving Hill out of the record is like forgetting to torque your wheel nuts before the start.

One suspects COTA’s PR team will be braking a little earlier on the next unveiling.

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