Written by Annalise Huang, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Formula One has historically been considered a European sport. In its early years, most races were held in Europe, with the Indy 500 usually constituting as a non-championship round on the calendar. The stateside popularity, meanwhile, has been spearheaded by NASCAR and IndyCar through the decades.
However, in recent years, it’s Formula One’s popularity in America that has skyrocketed, and for a multitude of reasons.
Perhaps the most prominent of these reasons is a popular Netflix show, ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’, the first season released back in 2019. The Emmy award-winning series is credited with changing the way fans interact with the sport, whilst expanding Formula One’s popularity worldwide.
A study conducted in 2022 found that 28% of American adults, or 72 million people, consider themselves to be F1 fans. More than half the respondents credited ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ for introducing them to the sport.
However, it's interesting to note that many of these fans, though avid watchers of the Netflix show, don’t actually tune into the races themselves.
ESPN, who broadcast Formula One in the Americas, reported an average of 1.1 million American viewers per race in 2023. Compared to the 72 million reported “fans,” this meagre number suggests most American fans don’t watch races regularly.
A possible explanation of this could be the American time zones, with several European rounds, and even the Las Vegas Grand Prix, telecast live at an inconvenient time zone for American race fans.
However, America’s own Miami Grand Prix in 2023 only garnered two million native viewers. While Formula One’s popularity may generally be on the rise, the manner in which Americans consume Formula One content varies greatly from the traditional European fanbase.
Another factor to consider is the existence of American drivers and teams in F1. Logan Sargeant, who was dropped from Williams Racing in the middle of the 2024 season, was the first full-time American F1 driver since 2007.
Meanwhile, Haas F1 Team is the only American team on the current grid, making their competitive debut in 2016. Both Sargeant and Haas have lacked the success or publicity to considerably attract American viewers.
America has had successful drivers historically, but they significantly predate the current era of F1.
The most recent American driver to win the driver’s championship was Mario Andretti in 1978. Perhaps a more current and dominant American driver or team could see an even greater rise in popularity.
The 2024 season saw three American races: The Miami Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The latter particularly stands out among the list, with the inaugural 2023 race generating a net economic impact of $1.5 billion, surpassing that of America’s beloved NFL Super Bowl the same year.
Internationally, the race was the most watched of the 2023 season, boasting a staggering 2.7 billion viewers globally.
The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix was also notable, with Max Verstappen clinching his fourth world title and effectively landmarking the track in F1 history.
The rising success of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, alongside the other two American races, surely contributes to its increasing popularity.
Considering these factors, the statistical trend of popularity in America makes more sense. Viewership has experienced a general upward trend, doubling that of numbers only five years prior.
Despite a slight dip in viewership in 2023, stemming from the monotony of a season largely dominated by Red Bull, the general viewership of F1 in America is reaching new heights.
In the future, the addition of a successful American driver or an emphasis on race viewership may change the way F1 expands.
However, it’s safe to say that America is a prime market for the future of F1, and an increase in audience diversity may create significant changes in the culture of the sport’s fanbase.
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