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F1 circuit’s extraordinary new theme park makes headlines for unexpected reasons

Fantastic news for everyone wanting a little extra thrill at the United States Grand Prix next weekend: COTALAND is open!

By Chris Deeley · GPFans

Published: Sunday, 18 October 2026 at 8:31 PM

Key Things to Know

COTA's new COTALAND theme park suffered opening-weekend breakdowns on its Circuit Breaker roller coaster.
Nineteen passengers were stranded in a vertical tilt position for nine minutes during one incident.
COTALAND stated no riders were injured and described the stoppages as normal automated safety checks.

The Story in 60 Seconds

The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) officially opened its new theme park, COTALAND, ahead of the United States Grand Prix, but its premier roller coaster suffered multiple breakdowns. The Circuit Breaker tilt coaster experienced unplanned stoppages on consecutive days during its opening weekend, temporarily stranding riders mid-ride.

Theme park officials stated that no guests were injured, noting the stops were automatic safety responses triggered by onboard sensors. The coaster is also subject to an existing lawsuit exceeding $1 million following a prior incident that reportedly left passengers suspended for over an hour.

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F1 circuit’s extraordinary new theme park makes headlines for unexpected reasons

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