Circuit of The Americas is braced for a record-breaking United States Grand Prix weekend crowd in October, according to track chairman Bobby Epstein.

On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, COTA has gone from almost falling off the calendar to becoming one of F1's biggest events in the past decade. Last year's weekend crowd exceeded 400,000, putting it behind only the British and Australian GPs for gate figures — but that figure looks set to be surpassed this year.

"We're actually on pace for a record year," Epstein told reporters this week. "(We're) seeing massive demand, and could easily break our record, our prior year record."

Epstein revealed there had been "good meetings with the highway department" over road improvements to get fans from downtown Austin to the track, estimating the additional lanes could allow for an extra 15,000 to 30,000 fans per day.

COTA has also added Thursday action to its schedule this year with a "Grand PrixView" day, where fans can get into the track from $20. F1 Academy will be on track that day, with fans also able to access the pit-lane walk and fan zone before the race weekend fully begins.

Asked about the debate over the impact of F1's new rules on the sport's health, Epstein was bullish: "So I'm not as focused on the rules and rights that affect the competition."

The newsletter also reported that F1 will end its season in Europe if the planned rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot go ahead, with a decision on the Middle East races expected in September.