DUTCH DRIVER MAX VERSTAPPEN MAY HAVE claimed victory at the Miami Grand Prix on May 7, but it was Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali who was the real winner. The second running of the race was the first of three grand prix in America this racing season—the most held on U.S. soil in nearly 40 years—in a resurgence led by the Italian executive and the series’ Colorado-based owner, Liberty Media.
Through clever marketing via social media and the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, plus enough youth-friendly “woke” ideology to ruffle the feathers of the Miami Grand Prix’s host state governor, Ron DeSantis, Formula 1 is capturing the imagination of a new generation of American fans. With a seemingly glamorous, celeb-filled international jet set vibe and the buckets of cash that come with it—reigning champion Verstappen is said to be raking in $55 million to drive his Red Bull Honda this season—it is not hard to see how Formula 1 has turned more than a few young heads in the past few years.
“This is an incredible opportunity to make sure that the new fans watching for the first time are captured by us,” Domenicali told Newsweek before the Miami race. “Explaining the sporting excitement that is on the track, explaining the incredible experience that we want to give to the fans that are attending the races, and explaining the passion and the technology that is behind the scene of Formula 1 and making sure that we give to our new American audience all the elements for them to choose. We want to make sure that they have everything [so] they’re going to choose Formula 1, for bigger growth for us in this incredible country.”
The European-dominated racing series has, for now, headed back to the continent, where the bulk of the summer races are held, starting with the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo on May 28 and the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona the following weekend. F1’s new stateside focus, however, hasn’t been missed by other American heavyweights in motor sport.
Gene Haas, founder of toolmaker Haas Automation and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, which competes in NASCAR, debuted his eponymous Formula 1 team in 2016. Meanwhile, Ford is set to supply engines to the Red Bull team starting in 2026, and Andretti Global is teaming up with Cadillac to potentially join the championship in 2025 (pending approval by F1). There is even an American F1 driver, 22-year-old Logan Sargeant, in the series for the first time since 2015.
