The Grand Prix of America isn’t on the Formula One schedule just yet, as the first race isn’t penciled in until June of 2013. That didn’t stop current F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel from giving the temporary street circuit a go, substituting an Infiniti G37 Coupe for his Red Bull Renault F1 car.

If you’re familiar with the roads in Weehawken and West New York, New Jersey, you’ll understand why. We can’t speak for every road in the area, but many have been repaved so many times over the years that smooth pavement is an all-but-unattainable goal.

Throw in steeply crowned roads (to promote drainage) and elevation changes that rival the Monaco Grand Prix, and you have all the elements of a challenging course located just minutes from one of the largest cities in the world.

Vettel seemed to enjoy his (limited) time on track, even stopping to serve up a fresh batch of donuts for the (largely unimpressed) local police, who’d shut down the streets for Vettel’s run. We’ll admit to to seeing far more aggressive driving from the locals, though, especially at rush hour on a Friday afternoon.

Assuming the organizers can create a safe racing environment and pull off the event in time, the Grand Prix of America (not to be confused with the United States Grand Prix, to be held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas) could prove to be one of the most watchable races on the F1 schedule.