F1 LOOKS TO GROW OUTSIDE AMERICA
Chiefs keen to add more races but not in the USA
FORMULA ONE bosses are keen to add more venues in the coming years – but not in the USA.
The Miami Grand Prix took place last night for a second year, while the world championship returns later this year to Las Vegas after a four-decade absence.
Along with the established F1 event at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, that means three US races per year.
Given the popularity F1 has experienced Stateside, assumptions have been made that venues like New York’s Watkins Glen circuit and Long Beach in California could be the next to be added.
But it is understood F1 chiefs are looking elsewhere to enhance its reputation as a truly global sport.
The US remains a key market for F1, but the focus there is now on consolidating and growing the new events in Miami and Las Vegas.
Gloomy predictions were made for the Florida race in its second year given not all tickets have sold out – but around 30,000 new places have been added for this event and F1 expects attendance figures to rise compared to last season’s total of 240,000 across the race weekend.
And the drivers certainly love the Miami life, including Lewis Hamilton who said it was a “dream” to be racing in the Sunshine State.
Three annual races in the US and six in total in those time zones – including Canada, Mexico and Brazil – is seen as the ideal amount, making up a quarter of the calendar.
Guenther Steiner, team principal of American team Haas, said: “There is always effort needed to stabilise and F1 is doing that.
“In the near future, there are no more races planned in the States because we don’t want to balloon it.”
Under the current Concorde agreement, 24 races per year is the maximum allowed until at least the 2026 season.
F1 chief Stefano Domenicali said last year there could be up to 30 per year in the future, but the Italian’s comments were in reference to the number of cities and countries desperate to get their own slice of the sport’s evergrowing pie.
That limit of 24 is seen as the perfect number going forward – which may well be bad news for established venues in Europe.
Asia is a market targeted for further expansion while a return to Africa – much desired by Hamilton – is also high on the agenda.
But further venues would make rotation necessary, threatening the once untouchable status of tracks such as Monza, Spa-Francorchamps and Monaco.
Silverstone, though, is expected to be safe for now as its huge historical significance and popularity make the threshold for replacing it extremely high.