Formula 1 in the United States has boomed in recent years and this weekend the third race of the season in the country will be held in Las Vegas – Lewis Hamilton has commended the growth.
Lewis Hamilton has hailed the progress Formula 1 has made in the United States in recent years.
This weekend the sport will race around the famous Las Vegas strip for the third Grand Prix staged in the US this year.
The Drive to Survive docuseries on Netflix has contributed to the explosive rise in F1’s popularity in the US in recent years.
Once upon a time, the US struggled to attract F1 spectators; from 2007 to 2011, no races were held there.
After the infamous 2005 US Grand Prix, when worries about Michelin tyres forced only six cars to start the race, the sport’s reputation in the nation suffered.
Hamilton offered his suggestion to make sure F1 doesn’t lose its hold on the US, as it appears to be doing now.
Hamilton told reporters, including RacingNews365.com, “I think it’s [about] continuing to engage with the outside world and, as I was mentioned before, really creating more accessibility.”
“I believe that back in the day, when I first traveled to the United States in 2007, and for a very long time afterward, each time we marched for that one race—which occasionally occurred and occasionally did not—you would always find yourself simply restating information and teaching.
“Observing how passionate Americans are about sports and how they hadn’t yet caught the bug that many of us grew up catching when we were younger, I couldn’t fully understand it when I went to NFL and NBA games.
Thus, it’s been incredibly astounding to witness how many people—really, a sizable section of the country—are now talking about it. Everyone wants to be a driver, and many people own simulators! So, seeing has been wonderful.
‘Close racing key for fans’
In light of Red Bull’s dominant campaign, Hamilton continued, F1 needs to make sure there is fierce competition at the front of the field to maintain interest.
“I believe that we need to keep examining what comes next. I think it is really beneficial that the three races are here in such a large country,” he remarked.
“Within our sport, we have to continue to work on making sure we’re having close racing, because I think you’ve seen the social engagement drop a huge amount this year. So, it’s obviously heavily impacted on competition.
People are eager to witness that. Therefore, in order to maintain close and exciting racing until the very end, we must ensure that we—or the governing body—is making the right decisions. There should be more grandstands.
“I’m not sure if we should cut the price, but it could be necessary. And then simply observing these various locations, ensuring that, when we enter these various nations, we’re addressing the impact as well and not just acting as a traveling circus that departs with a mess in its wake.
“But looking at how we can really leave a legacy behind in each of these places that we go to.”
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