Formula 1 in the United States: from outcast to cash cow

Formula 1 has long had a love-hate relationship with the United States. NASCAR, and IndyCar; were the racing classes Americans watched. Formula 1? That was a toy from Europe, with races entering American television viewers at inappropriate times. If they came in at all.

Thanks in part to the Netflix series Drive to Survive, interest in Formula 1 has increased significantly in the United States. Yet the Circuit of the Americas has also had an important role in this. After the 2005 tyre drama at the Indianapolis circuit - where teams using Michelin tyres stopped racing after the warm-up lap as a precaution - there was no more interest in F1 at all. America was totally fed up with Formula 1, and under the leadership of then-owner Bernie Ecclestone, F1 really didn't care much else.

Nevertheless, the owners and promoter of COTA - as the circuit is popularly known - dared to welcome Formula 1 back to the States in 2012. The circuit's layout was designed by Hermann Tilke with the return of the king class in mind. It was immediately stated that COTA would become "one of the most spectacular circuits" in the world, a guarantee of great races.

Yes, there have also been setbacks. In 2015, for instance, local politicians suddenly announced that they would contribute six million dollars less than agreed, leaving quite a financial gap. Moreover, there was Hurricane Patricia that year, which ensured that over three days 'only' 224,000 spectators passed the gates. To give an idea: in 2024, almost half a million people are expected over three days.

Yet the organisers persisted, and so now the reward has come. Tickets are hard to come by, with more and more demand every season. Keep in mind that the cheapest ticket is $550, so it is not difficult to calculate the minimum ticket revenue: $275 million and that would be the number if all visitors bought just General Admission tickets.

Meanwhile, Formula 1 has been so embraced by Americans that there are already three Grands Prix in the country. Even in Miami and especially Las Vegas, ticket prices are sky-high, but it doesn't seem to bother. Americans come anyway and marvel at Netflix stars Guenther Steiner, Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Formula 1 has also embraced it in the US because those American fans also mean extra money in its pockets. No one in F1 is waiting for a second American F1 team yet but there is nothing more volatile than the relationship between the United States and Formula 1.