Can Formula 1 Work in the United States?
In May, stunning news broke in Formula 1 with the announcement that the United States Grand Prix would return to the calendar in 2012 at a new, purpose-built facility in Austin, Texas. The news was shocking because a race deep in the heart of Texas was not on the radar screen of most Formula 1 experts. It was widely believed that a revamped United States Grand Prix would be held near New York in order to attract media attention along with a cosmopolitan and worldly fan base.
While Austin is a unique spot that stands apart from the rest of Texas, it certainly isn’t New York. Neither was Indianapolis, the most recent site of the United States Grand Prix. The race was held at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000 to 2007, with Lewis Hamilton claiming the victory in front of mostly-empty stands.
However, just because the United States Grand Prix is going to be held in Austin in 2012 doesn’t mean that a New York-area venue is completely off the table. Media reports have suggested that Formula 1 rights holder Bernie Ecclestone is still committed to holding a race in the New York area. It wouldn’t be the first time that there have been two Formula 1 races in the United States in the same season. The United States Grand Prix West was run in the streets of Long Beach, California from 1975 to 1980 at the same time that the United States Grand Prix was held at Watkins Glen in New York.
But can two Formula 1 races work in the United States when there have been so many problems finding the support for just one race? Many people have suggested that Formula 1 racing in America was crippled by the 2005 United States Grand Prix fiasco, when all but six drivers withdrew from the field after the parade lap due to a conflict about tire safety. More than 100,000 were left to boo a farcical race that was eventually “won” by Michael Schumacher.
However, the United States Grand Prix’s problems ran deeper than the 2005 race debacle. American race fans who are used to attending NASCAR and drag racing events are used to having up-close and personal access to drivers, such as being able to walk through the pit area and get autographs from their favourite drivers during practice sessions. Formula 1 officials ran the United States Grand Prix very differently, keeping drivers and cars separated from the general fan base and only giving a high level of access to drivers and teams.
It reinforced the notion which many American fans have that Formula 1 is an elite sport versus the “everyman” appeal of American forms of motorsports like NASCAR and Indy Car. The relative lack of passing in Formula 1 racing has not appealed to American racing fans in the past. The fact that former Formula 1 drivers such as Juan Pablo Montoya and Nelson Piquet Jr. have left the sport for NASCAR because they want to race has reinforced the notion that Formula 1 racing means “no action.”
Despite all of this, Formula 1 racing can succeed in America if it is marketed correctly. Millions of race fans still exist in the United States, waking up at odd hours to watch races from around the world. Formula 1 officials need to understand that the American market is different than any other market they race in and make the necessary changes. Drivers need to do more outreach ahead of races in order to get their personalities across to American fans which might not follow Formula 1 on a regular basis. It’s also critical that tracks which hold Formula 1 races are designed to have plenty of action and passing.
Tags: