New video shows F1 track in motion

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) - With Austin's first Formula One weekend starting in 60 days, a new video has surfaced showing the Circuit of The Americas. Engineers from German-based Tilke, who designed the track, tour the 3.4-mile course with a camera, providing commentary along the way.

The video, which was produced by Axel Gerdau at KUT Radio, is subtitled in English as engineers describe the track turn by turn.

"It's like you're shooting into the sky, because you don't know what's happening behind Turn 1," said Oliver Liedgens of Tilke . "The drivers are forced to work behind the wheel at all times."

Liedgens says the back straightaway could be suspenseful, with drivers attempting to pass each other at high speeds.

"At the end of the straight, we're expecting speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour (200 mph)," said Liedgens.  "Then you really put on the brakes before entering an arena-type atmosphere."

Tilke has taken some of the most dramatic elements from other tracks, like Silverstone in England, and put them into the Circuit of The Americas (Turns 3-5).

The U.S. Grand Prix will be 56 laps around.

"I have never built a football stadium, and so I wouldn't know how to do that," added Liedgens. "Our job is to tell people, 'Formula One. This is how that works.'"

The track itself has to be complete by Tuesday, Sept. 25 when Formula One's governing body will do its inspection. According to the Lower Colorado River Authority, Southeast Travis County received 1.35 inches of rain recently, but Circuit of the Americas says it did not affect the construction schedule.

Circuit of The Americas posted this update on Sept. 13:

The ceiling is in place on the interior of the pit building and carpet has been laid. The stairs leading to the second level of the pit building are now complete with hand rails. Drywall has been installed and painted in the majority of both the pit and team buildings. Final installations of the interior of the race control tower are near completion. The media center's commentary booth is nearing completion with limestone façade being applied.

Both the exterior and interior of the medical building are complete, showing off the sleek, modern architecture that will be seen throughout the other buildings at the venue. Limestone is now visible halfway up the sides of the pit building and team building. The pit building and main grandstand continue to look less and less like a construction site and more like a world-class circuit primed for its debut.

The track itself continues its tiered paving process as the third and final layer of paving, or wearing course, has begun. Crews have also paved the infield service road of the track. Paving crews continue to work around the clock to ensure that the track meets the standards of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).