Grand Prix Successful in Return to United States AUSTIN, Tex. - All the ingredients were there to make the inaugural United States Grand Prix in Austin one of the most highly attended, most festive and most exciting races of the 2012 Formula One season. The series had been absent from the United States for five years after struggling to find its place in America despite more than half a century of effort. That it made its return was in no small way helped by the race's taking place at the first purpose-built circuit in the United States. It also probably did not hurt to reintroduce Formula One to Americans in Austin, a city whose motto is "Keep Austin Weird." A capacity crowd of 117,429 watched a wild and suspenseful battle between the remaining contenders for the drivers" title, Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, on a track and at a site that delivered all of its promise and more. And thanks to a circuit that permits overtaking, the series heads to Brazil for the final race next weekend with the drivers" title still up for grabs. Vettel, who leads Alonso in the standings, 273-260, and started Sunday's race from the pole, led the first 42 laps of the 56-lap race. But he was passed by Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren Mercedes with 14 laps left, and Hamilton hung on for the win. Alonso, meanwhile, did everything he could to remain in contention, starting from seventh on the grid and finishing third. Hamilton, who has now won 21 races, also won the last United States Grand Prix, at Indianapolis in 2007. "This is one of the best, if not the best, Grand Prix we have had all year," Hamilton said. It was the first Grand Prix here, and I won the last one here as well, so I am massively proud. Vettel, who pointed out his own ties to Formula One racing in the United States, including his 100th circuit race Sunday and his Formula One debut at the Grand Prix in Indianapolis in 2007, said the Austin race was incredible. "It was a close battle with Lewis; he had one chance, and he took it," he added. This was also a victory for Austin, which went to great lengths to ensure success after the series failed to take hold at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000 to 2007. A three-day Formula One fan festival that included music, activities for children and other entertainment opened the event to more than racing fans, something few other series" sites have accomplished. Good weather, including 73 degrees and sunny skies for race day, certainly helped. There were also almost none of the anticipated traffic concerns either, as almost 500 shuttle buses took spectators the seven miles from downtown Austin to the track in Elroy. Of course, not all Austin residents were pleased. One put a banner on the roof of his home in 6- and 12-foot letters reading, "Howdy! F1%," a reference, and complaint, to the smaller percentage of fans who opted for the more expensive helicopter rides to the circuit. But Formula One team directors cautioned that the Grand Prix based in Austin and the series" latest attempt at success in the United States cannot be judged solely on this race. "The first year you come to a race at a facility like this, it's great to see what fantastic support it's had - but it's about maintaining that support," said Ross Brawn, the director of the Mercedes team. There are things that we do during the season to monitor exposure and reaction, and we will be looking at all the factors that help us judge how much of an impression this race is making. From the sporting point of view, Austin delivered in a way that Indianapolis failed, by providing a track built for Formula One cars. The result was a spectacular race of passing and competition, more akin to Nascar than to the processional Formula One racing of the past that could never seduce American fans. The Circuit of the Americas, as it is named, left very little to chance. Performing the interviews with the drivers on the podium after the race was Mario Andretti, one of only two Americans to win the Formula One drivers" title. "We just witnessed an awesome, awesome race right to the end," said Andretti, who won the title in 1978 to join Phil Hill, the 1961 champion.