This is how popular F1 is in the US: Ratings record relatively very low

Miami GP provides instant record

With the Miami Grand Prix, a rating record for F1 in the US has been achieved, reports Sportspromedia.com. An average of 2.6 million people watched the race and a peak of 2.9 million viewers was achieved. Liberty Media seems to be rewarded with this record for its efforts to make Formula 1 more popular in America. The ratings are just not that impressive when you compare them to the ratings in the Netherlands.

Even with absolute numbers, there were races in 2021 that were more watched in the Netherlands than this American record. When you see this in relation to the cramped 330 million inhabitants of the US and the seventeen million inhabitants of the Netherlands, the American record is not at all impressive. This record shows that there is indeed still a lot to gain for F1 in the US.

Verstappen makes F1 great in the Netherlands

Over five million Dutch people watched the denouement of 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Of course that was the race where Max Verstappen became the first Dutchman to win the world title, but the race before that in Saudi Arabia also attracted 3.7 million Dutch viewers. Last year's race in Sochi, which took place earlier in the season and is not known for its spectacle or allure, was even watched by 1.5 million people in the Netherlands.

Liberty Media's desire for an American driver on the grid is logical when you consider the huge numbers of viewers in the small Netherlands versus the small numbers of viewers in the huge US. Verstappen provides the bulk of the Dutch viewers and undoubtedly contributed to the return of the Zandvoort Grand Prix. In this respect, an American driver in a top team, fighting for the title, could do wonders for the popularity of F1 in the US.