The race at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend was a true spectacle to behold. In F1, you don’t see something as nail-bitingly close and grippingly on the edge-of-your-seat suspenseful all the time. If that sounds like I’m using too many superlatives, I probably am. But I’m still absolutely buzzing from what we witnessed on race day, even now thinking about it (over 36 hours after) as I write this.
If this weekend, and this race, under these circumstances, can’t break F1 into America. Then nothing can!
F1 has never really previously made a massive impact in the US of A. Many attempts prior to the Liberty Media take over usually ended in disappointment; For us as fans who wanted it to happen and to the commercial rights holders that saw the massive financial benefits of breaking into to such a huge territory! (We won’t talk about 2005!)
But this year felt different. This year, all the ingredients were mixed together in JUST the right way, that you knew it would make a huge impact for FORMULA 1 stateside!
One of those ingredients was the ever popular Netflix – Drive to Survive series. After 3 years of this entertaining look back at each season, America seems to have embraced the sport as their own. Massive crowds turned up to the event, every single day, culminating in a huge trackside attendance on Sunday of 140,000 people with a total of nearly 400,000 fans over the course of the weekend. There was a huge carnival style atmosphere. You could see on the telly (which was sadly where I witnessed the race from) that there were fire breathing robots, circus acts and cheerleaders. It just felt like it was a massive event, like a Super-Bowl, or an Olympic opening ceremony.
But let’s not forget what the teams and drivers had done to make this one of the most anticipated races of the year! They had built up a really great narrative to keep people glued to their seats. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton being locked in a battle for the championship all year, meant that there were real consequences for winning/losing the race. Lewis came into the weekend 6 points behind the young pretender to the throne Max. He needed this win, the fans knew it, so did he and so did his team. If Max were to win, he would undoubtedly hold the all the right cards coming out of the race; not to mention a massive points lead in the championship.
THE RACE – It just delivered. It wasn’t just the championship battle that was electrifying to watch, but the midfield and even back markers played a key role. McLaren and Ferrari Fighting for that third spot in the constructors championship. Plus the other teams showcasing why the sport can be so entertaining to watch. We can’t forget that Strategy played a huge part in the race too, which is what you get when a race is a definite two stopper. And this is what defined the race and made it so exhilarating. The Tom & Jerry chase from the two championships rivals was flipped back and forth, with strategy calls and hard racing, it had the tension of a blockbuster thriller all the way till the last lap. The two protagonists locked in their final battle showdown. Max was then eventual winner of the race, but at no point was it easy for either of them. The fact that they both ended up 30 seconds away from their nearest competitors shows how far ahead of the rest of the field these two drivers are in talent. The fact remain this season will go down in history as one of the great driver rivalries. Up there with Senna/Prost, Hunt/Lauda & Schumacher/Hakkinen.
Back to the point of this F1 fan boys ramblings. Has the perfect recipe for United States acceptance of the sport been achieved? Let’s hear from the people involved in the weekend.
Here’s what Lewis had to say…
“I think this is definitely our acceptance into the U.S. What a place to be. It’s a real honour to be out here, I hope we get more races out here. I hope that the sport continues to grow because you can tell just how great the fans are out here, so I hope we get to come back more.”
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton’s dreams will come true next year as we visit twice in one season now that F1 have agreed terms for a Miami based street circuit.
Christian Horner says…
“Formula One’s made a big statement this weekend this weekend in the U.S. Big crowd, maybe a world-record-breaking crowd for Formula One over a grand prix weekend. Fantastic to see the American fans and public engaging in Formula One. We can thank Netflix, but without great content then it’s not a good show, and I think the racing today really delivered and I think the fans are really engaging with what F1 can deliver.”
Christian horner
Zak Brown adds his input…
“I think Netflix has been outstanding for Formula One. It’s driven a younger fan base, it’s driven a much larger fan base. It’s really had an impact in America, I think it’s doing what we as a sport would like it to do, which is turn on a bunch of new fans. I think it’s been hugely successful.”
Zak Brown – US GP
In conclusion YES AMERICA!! F1 HAS ARRIVED and its about time too!