Formula 1 has taken America by storm, with races in Austin, California and Mexico City. With the US hosting a Grand Prix for almost 20 years now there are plenty of data to back up how successful it’s been.
The “how did covid-19 affect f1” is the title of a recent article. The article talks about how F1 has cracked America and what this means for the sport.
AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — The American Grand Prix was a one-of-a-kind event. If there was any question before this weekend, the race on Sunday proved that Formula One has finally made its way to the United States. And it’s possible that it’ll be around for a long time.
The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) race returned in style this weekend, with a record attendance and a carnival-like atmosphere. The steps F1 has taken since the previous U.S. Grand Prix in 2019 were easy to see, boosted by one of the sport’s all-time great championship clashes between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton and riding the tide of popularity produced by three seasons of Netflix’s hugely successful “Drive to Survive.”
After decades of attempting and failing to break into the American market, Formula One is venturing into unknown territory. This United States Grand Prix seemed unlike any other, whether it was held in Texas or elsewhere. It seemed as though I was watching an Indy 500 or a Formula One race. It wasn’t simply the excitement of a record audience or the return to a beloved location after last year’s event was canceled due to the pandemic; this one felt different. It seemed to be considerably larger.
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Hamilton, the sport’s most well-known figure, said after the race that the whole event seemed like F1 finally breaking through.
“I believe this is absolutely our admission into the United States,” the seven-time world champion said after finishing second in a heated duel with Verstappen worthy of the race’s large attendance.
“What a wonderful location to be.” It’s an honor to be out here, and I hope to see more events here in the future.
“I hope the sport continues to flourish because you can see how amazing the people are out here, so I hope we get to come back again.”
The U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas had a record audience. Getty Images/Alex Bierens de Haan/Formula 1/Formula 1
The race between Verstappen and Hamilton, in particular, was worthy of the occasion.
“Formula One has made a strong statement in the United States this weekend,” Red Bull CEO Christian Horner remarked. “A large audience, maybe a world-record attendance for a Formula One grand prix weekend.”
“It’s fantastic to see American fans and the general people becoming involved in Formula One. We can praise Netflix, but without fantastic material, it’s not a good show, and I believe the racing today delivered, and I believe the audience are really interested in what F1 has to offer.”
Next year, Hamilton will get his dream of additional races. The Miami Grand Prix will make its debut in May 2022 at an event outside of Hard Rock Stadium, marking the first time since 1984 that two US races would be held in the same calendar year.
COTA’s spot on the 2022 calendar is marked with an asterisk since the circuit has yet to clinch a new agreement beyond Sunday’s event. However, COTA CEO Bobby Epstein told ESPN ahead of the weekend that a contract extension is almost inevitable, and F1 boss Stefano Domenicali would be stupid not to want to keep the Austin venue on the calendar far into the future after watching the 2021 event.
Epstein joked to ESPN before of the race weekend that he intended to drive Domenicali around the track to demonstrate the magnitude of the event. He didn’t quite make it, but he did accompany Domenicali to watch Kool and the Gang on Friday evening on the circuit infield.
The band performed with a lineup of musical performances that included Billy Joel on Saturday night and Shaquille O’Neal DJing under his musical moniker DJ Diesel on Sunday.
COTA attracted a record crowd of 400,000 people over four days, with 140,000 on race day alone, thanks to the addition of additional grandstands surrounding the final sector.
The popularity of Formula One is growing. Outside of the circuit, it was clear that things were different in the United States. The drivers were the ones who noticed. Charles Leclerc said on how much more recognized he has been since coming in America this year compared to prior years during the drivers’ procession before of the race.
Lando Norris of McLaren, who was voted F1’s second-most popular driver after Verstappen in a fan poll prior of the weekend, saw the same thing.
“Yes,” Norris answered when asked by ESPN whether his experience was comparable to Leclerc’s. It’s been a whirlwind.
“They’re waiting just outside the circuit, even at the hotel every morning and evening.” They don’t seem to sleep at all, do they?
“I suppose ‘Drive to Survive’ made a huge impact in that regard.” The number of admirers here is most likely due to ‘Drive to Survive,’ which accounts for a significant portion of the total.
“We had a lot of fans the previous time, and I think there are a lot more this time than there were in 2019.”
“It’s very fantastic to see how much it’s engaged people in America,” says the author.
Daniel Ricciardo, Norris’ McLaren teammate, said this year’s race seemed larger than any of its predecessors. Ricciardo is the live and breathing embodiment of Netflix’s success, having been significantly in every season. Ricciardo was taken aback by how well he was recognized in New York in the days leading up to the race, and you could see he was having a great time in Austin.
Getty Images/Chris Graythen
“This weekend’s crowd was incredible,” Ricciardo stated on Sunday evening. “It’s by far the busiest it’s ever been, even downtown.” It’s just awesome.
“The song at the start was fantastic, and just seeing the wave of people in the audience up the hill was… it’s one of the cooler ones, so I hope we keep coming back.”
The Netflix show’s success has been clear. According to Business Insider, the series was seen by 50 million people in 2021 alone.
JJ Watt of the Arizona Cardinals is one of the high-profile American athletes who has been addicted to Formula One as a consequence of watching it; he recently acknowledged to knowing nothing about the sport other than Hamilton’s name before watching the program in the summer. He’s addicted now.
Watt’s story is one that many people can relate to. Whether it’s Ricciardo’s infectious personality, Haas boss Guenther Steiner’s cussing, or the sassy feuds between Horner and Renault’s former boss Cyril Abiteboul, people who had never watched a single lap of an F1 race before discovering the series now can’t get enough of it and the people who participate in it.
It’s all quite important. It’s hard to believe now, but Michael Schumacher, one of F1’s greatest drivers and a joint-record holder of seven championships with Hamilton, once said that he was rarely recognized in America, and was even asked to spell his name out when checking into an Indianapolis hotel ahead of a U.S. Grand Prix in the early 2000s. In Europe and other areas of the globe, the reverse was true, which was one of the reasons Schumacher and his family regularly vacationed in the United States at the height of his success and renown.
The series hasn’t been well-received by everybody. Verstappen, the championship leader this season and the race winner on Sunday, has refused to compete in the future series, citing his dissatisfaction with how it warped the intensity of rivalries inside the sport. Verstappen’s choice is reasonable, but creative license seems to be a tiny price to pay for the series’ tremendous visibility.
The issue concerning F1 in America seems to be, would this work? before COTA held its first race in 2012. The purpose-built Texas circuit was instantly popular with drivers and existing fans, but it appeared to take a long time to persuade the people who counted in Formula One that a race in rural Texas was the best solution for the sport’s prospects of gaining a foothold in the United States.
What comes next is the question. The response is enticing.
The next destination is Las Vegas. ?
Getty Images/Steven Puetzer/Creative RF
F1 may not be done with America after two races: rumors of a third race in Las Vegas have been circulating in recent weeks. Several sources informed ESPN over the weekend that Formula One is looking at the possibility of racing in the city in the future.
“Why not?” Red Bull CEO Christian Horner replied when asked about a third race.
“There are some fantastic places. We’re looking forward to visiting Miami next year, and the United States is the world’s largest market and economy, so that’s crucial to us.”
F1 is due to have a record 23 races in 2022, but it seems that 25 will be reached in the not-too-distant future. Given the current state of the sport’s popularity in the United States, Vegas seems to be a no-brainer.
Interestingly, COTA president Epstein seems unconcerned with the advent of a Vegas race. He was one of the most outspoken opponents of the Miami race — at the time, a planned downtown street race — because he believed it would stifle ticket sales for his own event.
Since then, a couple things have transpired. For one thing, F1 has moved Miami to May, and COTA at the other end of the schedule. COTA also seems to have moved on from the tough days a few years ago, when there were serious fears that it may not be able to stay on the calendar.
Epstein now seems to be highly confident in COTA’s long-term calendar security. In fact, he now believes that additional races in America can only be a positive thing if they are arranged properly.
“They’re going to be sold out if they aren’t already… your first year event,” Epstein predicted of Miami’s first race. I don’t believe we’re vying for the same client.
“They’re distinct kinds of occasions.” That, I believe, will become apparent over time as they grow into their own personalities and characters. I believe there will be distinctions.
“Their first few years are almost certain to be sellouts. That’s exactly what happened to us. Because, although the first couple of years we did this were fantastic, they pale in comparison to what we’re doing now. That’s not to say they weren’t good, but they pale in comparison to what we’re doing today. We’ve gained a lot of knowledge.
“Nonetheless, the first two years were sold out as people came to check it out. So I believe they will sell for the first few years, and then ideally the F1 viewership will have increased, allowing them to get Vegas on board and continue to promote the sport in the United States, as I believe we are on the correct track.”
The success of a third U.S. race, according to Epstein, will be determined by the timing.
Epstein said of Vegas entering the calendar: “We’ve already been assigned to Mexico City. We’re far closer to Mexico City than we would be to Miami if we were in Vegas. So, I believe that bringing Vegas and Miami in May and Mexico City and Austin in the Fall would be a terrific complement in terms of helping it expand.”
“I’m not sure whether having Vegas, Austin, and Mexico City all in the same week is as good a platform as breaking the four races into two.”
The “f1 usa start time” is the first time that a European Grand Prix has been held in America. The race was won by Lewis Hamilton, who became the first non-American driver to win a Formula One race since 1950.
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