Formula 1 has always been considered a European sport, steeped in tradition and exclusivity. While every year, the driver with the most points at the end is crowned the “World Champion,” and the races do occur across 21 separate nations in five continents, the DNA of F1 nonetheless is and always has been distinctly European. In the wake of this past weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, however, I think it’s become clear that this European grounding has eroded. F1 has finally managed to attract Americans. F1 is now courting the United States with a vigor unseen in its history. With three races on US soil, F1 seems all but ready to cast off its past and become a household sport in the U.S..
Before mentioning anything else about F1’s recent rise, I must mention, likely to the chagrin of many “older” fans, Netflix’s Drive to Survive. Formula 1’s recent surge in American popularity can largely be attributed to Drive to Survive. The docuseries pulled back the curtain on the drama, rivalries and personalities within the sport, captivating a demographic that previously dismissed F1 as too niche or European-centric. Traditionally, the F1 driver was a secluded character, with little more than on-track exploits being the fans’ concern. The sense was that drivers should be let alone from the media circus, preserving a certain mystique around both themselves and the sport as a whole. Liberty Media, the sport’s US-based owners, have leveraged social media and the Netflix series to do the exact opposite. Drive to Survive, as well as the subsequent explosion in short-form social media content that F1 teams and drivers create, gives fans access to drivers’ personal lives in a way never before seen. It completely shifted F1 from a sport for “car guys” or old men to one that people from all walks of life can follow and enjoy. The show and Liberty Media’s rebrand has, in a way, made the sport a more friendly watch. The complex team development battles and driver rivalries are now neatly packaged by the gargantuan F1 media machine and spoon-fed to us as cute narrative arcs that run parallel each season.
Building on this momentum, Liberty Media doubled down by adding races in Miami and Las Vegas to join the long-standing Austin Grand Prix. The Las Vegas event is particularly ambitious — a night race on the iconic Strip, taking place in the shadow of the famed Caesars Palace casino. But despite the hype, F1’s first visit to Sin City last year was, to be frank, a disaster. Drain covers were not adequately welded over, destroying cars in practice; fans had their tickets confiscated with no refund … it was a rocky start. The sports owners have pressed on with this year’s race, but why? Liberty Media’s gamble here is clear: to make Las Vegas the crown jewel of the calendar, rivaling or even replacing Abu Dhabi as the season finale. F1 management has always wanted in on a piece of the American live sports glitz. The buckets of cash that the U.S. TV market can offer would tantalize any media rights holder, but F1, despite having had at least one race in the U.S. every year of the sport, has never truly cracked the “America nut” until the last few years. Races in the Middle East now cap the season with Bahrain and Abu Dhabi as the season opener and finale, respectively. Massive investment by Oil companies in the sport has previously tempted F1’s shift to the Middle East, but this has long been a highly unpopular prospect, and Las Vegas is F1’s out. Most of all, Max Verstappen’s securing of his fourth consecutive F1 driver title last weekend in Vegas has gifted F1 the perfect narrative pretext to solidify its commitment to America by making Vegas the season finale.
This Americanization hasn’t come without pushback from both sides of the Atlantic. From the perspective of many European fans, it feels like F1 is abandoning their loyal original audience, wooed by the possibility of huge foreign profit. Nine of the ten team headquarters and nine of the 24 races are located in Europe. F1’s slow shift away from Europe has turned many of the sports long-time fans off entirely. Equally, many in the American camp feel that a sense of European elitism, especially on the part of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, makes F1 fundamentally incompatible with America. The denial of Michael Andretti’s bid to enter a team, despite strong American backing, has fueled perceptions that the FIA and traditional F1 powers remain resistant to fully embracing US involvement. The tension underscores a cultural clash — European tradition versus American ambition. F1 management wants access to the American market and American capital while excluding any American contribution to the actual substance of the racing. This, understandably, has left a sour taste in the mouths of many more traditionally minded racing fans in the US, many of whom continue to champion NASCAR and INDYCAR as the traditional homes of American racing.
So, is this transformation good or bad? For purists, the shift toward entertainment-driven spectacles risks diluting the sport’s authenticity. However, for a new generation of fans, especially in the US, these changes make F1 more accessible and exciting. The outcome of this weekend will likely influence F1’s future direction. Will the Vegas Grand Prix deliver on its promise of capturing the American imagination, or will it reveal the limits of F1’s appeal in a country dominated by NFL, NBA and NASCAR? Regardless of the answer, one thing is clear: Formula 1 is evolving, and the US is central to its plans. Whether this gamble pays off or alienates its traditional fan base remains one of the most compelling storylines in the sport today.
James Palm is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at [email protected].