Historically, Americans have struggled to connect with Formula One in the same way that fans in the UK, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Brazil have. Stock car racing series Nascar and open wheel championship IndyCar have remained much more attractive prospects for both fans and sponsors stateside. Likewise, there have been few successful American Formula One drivers, with competitors from the country only securing two world titles since the championship’s inception. The last American Formula One world champion was Mario Andretti, who won the title in 1978 and was also the last American to win a Formula One race.
So, what happened? Why has the United States struggled so much to engage with Formula One in the same way European and Asian audiences have?
“It is a matter of exposure,” explains Bobby Epstein, a founding partner at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). “IndyCar and Nascar have been in the US, they are domestic series and they have been around even longer than Formula One has been available to the TV viewer or local newspaper reader.”
Indeed, for the casual motorsport fan based in the US, IndyCar and Nascar are easier to watch. These series are structured around attracting domestic fans and their timings are suited to a US audience. Why would a casual US fan wake up at 6am to watch a Formula One Grand Prix when they could watch an IndyCar or Nascar race in the afternoon at their leisure?
For a dedicated fan who already consumes Formula One on a regular basis, this is the accepted reality. However, for the audience demographic the series is trying to attract, it is a significant off-putting factor.
American motorsport fans have historically followed national series such as Nascar rather than Formula One
Historically, Formula One has been a European series. Of the scheduled races in 2021, 12 out of 23 are located within Europe. Across a race weekend, on-track sessions are scheduled to cater to European time zones and for a junior driver, the best route into Formula One is through European-focused series, such as the Euroformula Open Championship and Formula 4.
“We’re traditionally a European-based sport,” says Chloe Targett-Adams, Formula One’s global director of race promotion. “We run on European time zones and our broadcast schedule is predominantly based around that.”
Additionally, Formula One currently has no US driver for fans to cheer on and sponsors to partner with. Whilst one of the teams, Haas, hails from the US, the last American Formula One driver was Alexander Rossi, who competed in a handful of races in 2015. Before him, there was Scott Speed, but his last appearance in the championship came in 2007.
It is also difficult for Americans to forget the challenges that Formula One previously faced at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, its US home between 2000 and 2007. Most notably at the 2005 US Grand Prix, 14 cars were forced to withdraw at the last minute due to safety concerns surrounding Michelin tyres, leaving only six cars, which had opted to use Bridgestone tyres, to compete. At the time, the event was labelled a disaster by media outlets and left fans feeling angry and disappointed. Despite taking place 16 years ago, the debacle lives on in memory as an embarrassing episode.
Fans were unhappy about the six-car race in 2005
However, the series has been working hard behind the scenes to establish itself as a serious prospect stateside. Since the reintroduction of the US Grand Prix, now based at COTA, in 2012, Formula One’s US fanbase has been growing. According to RaceFans, from 2017-2018, viewership in the market rose by 20 per cent, and 49 per cent the year after. More recently, it is clear that championship bosses have placed greater emphasis on connecting and engaging with US fans, and it is starting to pay off.
“The Formula One fanbase, we’ve noticed over the last four years, is an avid fanbase,” says John Suchenski, the director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN. “We hear when we do things well and when we don’t. Most importantly, it’s growing. We’ve seen year-over-year growth across each of the last few years and every year adding on top of that.”
In 2017, US media giant Liberty Media purchased the Formula One Group, promoter of the championship. This, in turn, catalysed the growth of Formula One in the US as Liberty Media prioritised US fans and sponsors. Former chief executive Chase Carey was eager to connect with fans digitally and embrace social media in a way the series had not done before under the stoic leadership of Bernie Ecclestone.
“We’re a couple of years in now, so you can see that growth,” says Targett-Adams. “They [Liberty Media] are really engaged more day-to-day with an American fan.”
We’ve seen year-over-year growth across each of the last few years and every year adding on top of that.
A new partnership with US broadcaster ESPN, which was secured in 2018, and the launch of Formula One’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, F1TV, assisted the series’ growth in the region. Already, it is clear that this improved broadcast focus is having a positive impact.
“We know our TV audiences are up,” says Targett-Adams. “The US was our fourth biggest market in 2019 in terms of unique reach. We have had a very strong start to the 2021 season. Our race audiences are one to 1.5 million-plus.”
At ESPN, the numbers speak for themselves. Each race broadcast in 2021 has reached a larger audience than the last, with this year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix peaking at 1.04 million, more than any race across the 2020 and 2021 seasons so far.
ESPN's coverage has led to an increase in US audiences for Formula One
Additionally, Formula One’s current stateside home has provided the atmosphere for the US Grand Prix to flourish. Rather than just relying on the on-track action to engage attendees, COTA has crafted a festival-like experience to complement it, drawing in new potential fans. In recent years, the Austin, Texas-based circuit has hosted concerts in addition to the Grand Prix, bringing in big-name musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Elton John.
“I think we are largely well received because our campus allows us to create a festival experience that appeals to both the hardcore racing fan as well as those who want to go to a spectacular entertainment event,” says Epstein. “It has had a tremendous contribution to building the popularity of the sport – people come here, by the hundreds of thousands, they go back and they tell others they had a great time and experience.
“Success is built on success. We’ve got something here, we’ve captured a winning formula and that’s helped it grow as much as anything.”
It is also important to recognise the significant impact that Drive to Survive, the critically acclaimed Netflix docuseries, has had on the growth of Formula One in the US. First released in 2019, the series provides viewers with up-close, behind-the-scenes access to each Formula One season, showcasing some of the personalities in the paddock and the inner workings of its teams. It also takes a look at Formula One through a lens that appeals to both seasoned fans and those who are new to the championship – something which is widely deemed to be the key to its success.
We have had 17 per cent fan growth over the last few years and we’ve seen a 75 per cent growth in 18 to 34-year-olds tuning in to watch Formula One.
“It is an opportunity to grow and reach new fans outside who are turning into our network,” explains Suchenski. “We think that it’s all positive. Our hope is that people who are watching the series are more incentivised to tune into the live races.”
This has indeed been the case. A recent study conducted by Nielsen outlined Drive to Survive as a significant reason for Formula One’s growth among viewers aged 16 to 25, a demographic that the championship has struggled to reach in previous seasons.
“We have 47 million fans in the US currently and there’s lots of headroom,” says Targett-Adams. “We have had 17 per cent fan growth over the last few years and we’ve seen a 75 per cent growth in 18 to 34-year-olds tuning in to watch Formula One.”
In a bid to capitalise on that success, Formula One has long been eager to secure another Grand Prix on US soil. Finally in April, after many years of discussions and false dawns, the series inked a ten-year deal to stage a street race in Miami. The first Floridian Formula One race since 1959, the Grand Prix will be held at Hard Rock Stadium, best known for playing host to the Miami Dolphins National Football League (NFL) franchise.
“We felt that Miami brand values and Formula One fit so closely together when we were thinking about how to expand the calendar in the US,” explains Targett-Adams.
“We also wanted to differentiate from the uniqueness of the US Grand Prix in Austin. For this additional race in the US, it was [a case of determining] ’where is really fitting that bill’.
“We were fortunate enough to have a relationship with the Miami Dolphins and Steve Ross [managing general partner of Hard Rock Stadium], and build on that to see what we could create with them at Hard Rock Stadium and to bring Formula One there.”
Welcome to Miami ����
Jump onboard for a virtual lap of the sun-soaked circuit that will play host to @f1miami in 2022! ��
�� x Apex Circuit Designs
�� x Assetto Corsa#MiamiGP #F1 @HardRockStadium pic.twitter.com/McHCF5Mc1Z— Formula 1 (@F1) April 22, 2021
With its sister race at COTA selling out every year, Formula One sees the Miami event as another step forward in its commitment to the US market. Now, there is the potential for more races to be introduced at a later date.
“The US for us is an incredibly important key strategic market – we’re always looking and evaluating it at locations there because it’s a phenomenally massive country,” adds Targett-Adams. “We have nine, ten races in Europe and we really feel that in the US market there is scope to build more and to look at key destination locations that really fit into that.”
Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali (left) and Miami Dolphins chief executive Tom Garfinkel recently signed off a ten-year deal to stage a Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium
Additionally, it is clear that major brands and corporations are increasingly seeing Formula One as a valuable marketing platform. According to Forbes, American brands bolstered their sponsorship in the series by 48.3 per cent to US$118.5 million in 2019, with US-based organisations such as Microsoft, Yahoo, Hewlett Packard, CNBC, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Hilton partnering with Formula One teams.
In future, though, a key question that will be asked is: what can Formula One do to capitalise on this demonstrable traction?
“Reach the widest possible audience,” says Suchenski, who notes how ESPN is shouldering some of Formula One’s growth in the US by making its content as accessible as possible. “We’re making all of the sessions and pre- and post-race coverage that Sky Sports are producing available to the fans, giving them as much content as possible, putting it on widely distributed platforms with our linear networks. Also, making sure we are serving fans across all screens. We understand that not everyone is sitting and consuming a full-on race on traditional television so we want to make sure that that need is being brought to fans on all of their devices and they can tune in whenever and wherever.”
ESPN’s broad coverage is helping to tackle the time zone barrier that can limit new fans from interacting with Formula One content, especially live races. In addition, F1TV complements ESPN’s programming by making hundreds of previous sessions available on-demand for fans to access at any time.
“Hopefully, it’s bringing in new fans to watch that are benefiting from that too,” adds Suchenski. “We feel that our coverage still resonates with the fans based on the results we’ve been seeing.”
Despite this, there is more that needs to be done for Formula One to remain on a growth trajectory. And so far, according to Epstein, it is on the right path. Previously, the US Grand Prix jumped around to various circuits during its time on the calendar, including Sebring, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Watkins Glen, Long Beach and Las Vegas. Since the return of the US Grand Prix at COTA, however, the venue has remained a constant on the Formula One calendar. As Epstein says: “The key to success is consistency and sticking with what’s working.”
Maintaining a stable presence is an important element to Formula One’s growth in the country. In 2019, nearly 300,000 fans flocked to COTA to watch the race. Now, with the addition of Miami in 2022, Formula One has found another long-term home in the US, forming a strong foundation for success.
Maintaining a constant presence at COTA has helped Formula One to develop a strong US fanbase
In order to continue its momentum, Targett-Adams believes Formula One must build on its efforts to lure fans so far, as well as connecting with new sponsors in the US market.
“We’re really excited to grow our sport in the US and to build it and to engage with those younger fans,” she says. “It’s a really unique proposition that we’re bringing together – the heart of sport, entertainment and technology in a race weekend. There is a lot of exciting opportunities for our Formula One teams for their wider business and fanbases in the US as well. Equally for the growth potential for our global partners – Pirelli, DHL, Rolex – [and] how we engage with them.”
Critically, though, the absence of an American driver in Formula One remains a challenge when it comes to driving engagement and overall popularity. Though Haas signed Santino Ferrucci as its reserve and test driver several years ago, he only ran in a handful of test sessions in 2017 and 2018. Currently, there are no American drivers competing in Formula 2, Formula One’s highest feeder series. However, Formula 3 boasts Juan Manuel Correa, Jak Crawford, Kaylen Frederick and Logan Sargeant, all racing under the US flag. Of course, there is a possibility that one or more of them could race in Formula One, but competition is tough and their European counterparts are making faster progress.
Another alternative is poaching a driver from IndyCar. On the surface, both championships appear quite similar – they are single seaters. However, the reality is much more complex than that. IndyCar’s vehicles regularly hit faster speeds than Formula One cars as they are capable of travelling in excess of 200mph, and often on oval circuits. And then comes the issue of super licence points. Currently, to compete in Formula One, a driver requires 30 International Automobile Federation (FIA) super licence points, which are awarded in junior categories, including IndyCar. However, Formula 2 currently awards more super licence points than IndyCar, which is a top-level series.
Despite this, there is a possibility that an IndyCar driver could make the switch. Following his first victory earlier this season, Pato O’Ward was offered a test in McLaren’s Formula One division. Additionally, similarities between the series have meant that drivers such as Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson have been able to transfer their Formula One skills to IndyCar. There is little reason why it wouldn’t work the other way around.
IndyCar driver Colton Herta has been tipped for a possible move to Formula One in the future
All this stems back to prioritising a US audience and demonstrating that they are important to Formula One. And so far, things seem promising. Audiences are continuing to grow, and as the series places a greater emphasis on engaging fans in the market, things will get better.
“We’re encouraged by those evolutions,” says Suchenski. “We hope it continues to grow and become more of a popular sport here in the US, as globally it is one of the most iconic series out there.
“It seems like it’s been resonating more and more here in the US. Our hope is that we continue to grow that audience, that there continues to be more of a focus on those US races and they become two important events on the calendar and, in turn, that increases the popularity of Formula One here in the US.”
Indeed, the new Miami street race paints a positive future for the series, especially considering it will be a staple of the calendar for at least ten years. Looking to COTA, Epstein is developing experiences to interact with fans throughout the year, cementing Formula One’s permanent presence in the US.
“We’re working on a Formula One garage experience and tour,” he explains. “We expect to be able to draw tens of thousands of fans throughout the year to give them a place to get a bit of education on the technology behind Formula One.”
COTA has plans to engage with Formula One fans all year round
Additionally, Drive to Survive has no plans of stopping. With three seasons under its belt, film crews are currently working on a fourth, hoping to draw in a new swath of young and engaged fans. Clearly, it has been one of Formula One’s most valuable assets in reaching younger audiences and those who aren’t sports fans in recent years, and the series is hoping for this momentum to continue. In turn, this new fanbase opens up opportunities for Formula One to innovate, driving engagement with fans and commercial partners.
“The future potential is incredible,” says Targett-Adams. “There are multiple ways we can engage with fans as we start to continue to innovate our business, products, events through the exponentials side, the licensing side, through sponsorship, through content we’re creating.
“I’m really excited and looking forward to the future that Formula One can bring to the US and how we can continue to engage more and more US fans.”