Longhorn Trophies and Champion Horse Rides: A recap of the 2025 F1 United States Grand Prix in Austin

Formula 1 continues to grow in America and the United States Grand Prix in Austin remains the standard for how the sport embraces speed and culture in an organic way.

The 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship is still up for grabs after Max Verstappen hit the cycle at this year's event, which featured one of the six sprint races this season. The Red Bull Racing driver scored pole for the sprint race, won the sprint race, captured pole for the main race and won the grand prix. It was the Dutchman’s fourth race victory in Austin and he sneaks closer to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for his fifth drivers' title.

For their part, McLaren had a miserable sprint race when both drivers crashed out at Turn 1. Norris rebounded in the grand prix and scored a second place finish. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium after crossing the checkered flag third.

Lewis Hamilton channeled the spirit of the Wild West throughout the weekend. He overcame the woes he’s been experiencing in his first year at the Scuderia and finished fourth. The 12 points he earned in the grand prix boosted him over 5,000 career points. He’s the first driver in Formula 1 history to reach that mark.

But Austin is so much more than the thrill of the track. Rodeos, country music and Daniel Ricciardo are all part of the fun.

Here's an off-track recap of the 2025 F1 United States Grand Prix:

The 2025 F1 USGP Trophy was Epic

F1 race organizers have gotten creative with the trophies in the past few years. The Miami Grand Prix’s glitzy trophy is made by Tiffany & Co. The Hungarian Grand Prix prize is a beautiful piece of porcelain. Remember when Lando Norris infamously broke Max Verstappen's on the podium?

The United States Grand Prix stepped it up a notch with incredible trophies for Austin’s race. The trophy was designed in collaboration between Bowen Studios, ORE Designs and Ken Ozawa, Creative Director of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

"It was a great experience, and a lot of fun, working with Ken Ozawa (F1 LVGP) and Shane Larsen (ORE Designs), not to mention my team of illustrators at Bowen Studios to brings these trophy from sketches to final construction! So happy to see the end result!" Bowen Studios said in an Instagram comment.

Each prize is shaped like a longhorn, the state animal of Texas. Zoom in close and you’ll see that the two sides of the animal’s face is actually the chrome outline of the Circuit of the Americas reflected on itself! Incredible.

Racing Bulls and Haas Liveries are Rodeo Ready

Racing Bulls always goes hard with their liveries. They brought a fresh tropical pink paint job for the Miami Grand Prix in May. For the USGP, they went with an black and orange tortoiseshell print meant to invoke the spirit and energy of a rodeo. It was perfect for a warm fall vibe.

Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar finished 11th and 16th in the race, respectively. But despite a less-than-stellar performance on the track, Racing Bulls had some star power with them throughout the weekend.

The team enlisted Shaboozey to help promote the livery, which was a nod to Cash App's Tortoise Card, a customizable prepaid Visa debit card. For the livery reveal, the country superstar sat in a diner with Caleb Pressley. The media personality is decked out in tortoiseshell accessories — lots of them. Shaboozey attempts to give him a lesson in taste before they look outside to see the Racing Bulls car showcasing the very print they are debating. It's pretty funny.

Haas was competing in their home race and flexed hard with their livery. They went with a dark blue base and red and white writing with a strong stars and stripes motif.

Fan favorite Guenther Steiner is no longer team principal for Haas, but veteran driver Esteban Ocon, who is in his first year with the American outfit, and rookie Ollie Bearman both expressed excitement at interacting with the crowd in Austin.

“It is such a cool city with so much energy, and I always look forward to coming back," Ocon said. "This is one of our home races so we know the American fans will again provide an amazing atmosphere throughout the weekend. COTA is a fun but challenging circuit which always produces some entertaining racing. ... I’m looking forward to getting back out there, show off our special livery, and hopefully give our home fans plenty to cheer for."

"This will be my first US Grand Prix as a MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driver, so I know it’s going to be full on," Bearman said, "but it’s so nice to soak in the atmosphere and passion from all the American fans. Sharing a mutual passion and love for this team and sport, COTA will be a highlight of this season for sure.”

Daniel Ricciardo Brings Southern Swag to Enchanté Pop-up

Daniel Ricciardo continues to make his presence known in the world of F1. At the Miami Grand Prix earlier this season, his Enchanté brand sponsored Racing Bulls’ F1 Academy team. But everyone knows the Australian driver's favorite city is Austin. In his racing days, Ricciardo enthralled fans by doing his drivers parade interview in a Southern accent while wearing a Texas Longhorns jersey.

This year, Enchanté had a pop-up in the Texas capital where fans could peruse a selection of jackets, T-shirts, tote bags, hats and stickers based on an auto repair shop theme. 

Ricciardo visited the pop-up where he signed autographs and exchanged smiles and hugs with his fans. He even wore burnt orange again.

Lewis Hamilton Rides a Horse for the First Time

Lewis Hamilton is a well-known animal lover. The world mourned when his beloved pup, Roscoe, passed away this summer. But perhaps he found a new best friend in Austin.

Ahead of the United States Grand Prix, where he became the first driver in F1 history to score 5,000 career points, Hamilton's +44 brand released a Rodeo collection.

“When I was thinking about doing a collection this year, I was like, we should definitely do something cowboy-inspired,” he said in a promotional video. “… I really, really love the aesthetics and just the style.”

Hamilton previously was severely allergic to animals and would have an asthma attack when he interacted with them. But he said he grew out of the allergies. That's how he was able to pose with a horse for his Time magazine cover story last year. Then he fully embraced the Western lifestyle for the Austin race.

“The sheer power of these horses is incredible,” he said in a promotional video where he was admiring the beast. “That’s really why I wanted to get into my cowboy vibe.”

Then he got to ride a horse for the first time and looked like a natural.

Perhaps he found his next best buddy.

“I want one so bad.”