Interview
'Sargeant's exit doesn't matter to America: races are more important'
Formula 1 returns to the United States but does so without an American driver. However, Guenther Steiner does not think the loss of Logan Sargeant is a big deal for American fans. In an exclusive interview with GPblog, he explains what is essential for F1 in America.
With Logan Sargeant, America finally had a representative in F1 again in recent seasons. The American drove at the back of the grid and hardly scored any points, but did become the first American F1 driver to do so since Alexander Rossi. However, Williams had seen enough and decided to swap Sargeant for Franco Colapinto after Zandvoort.
The United States has hosted three Grands Prix in recent seasons. The Miami Grand Prix takes place towards the start of the season. Austin will take place this coming weekend before the sport returns to American soil in November for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Steiner claims those three GPs are much more important to the American public than Sargeant.
Why races in America are important
"I think it's very important to have races there. An American who doesn't win in Formula One, doesn't move the needle. It doesn't do anything, so Logan being out will not make a difference," the former team boss of the American team Haas argued.
"Formula One needs the presence to show that it is there for that country as well. It's the biggest economy in the world. It's one of the biggest countries in the world, so it needs to have races there. It's very important. The races, at the moment, are selling very good. I think Austin is selling very good again. Miami was sold out this year, so I think Formula One is good, but you need races there so people can actually go to a race without going overseas."
It's been a long time since an American driver won an F1 race. The last American winner was Mario Andretti in 1978 when he won the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix at the Zandvoort circuit.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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