Formula 1
Brown keen to see US F1 double-header at COTA this year
McLaren boss Zak Brown is eager to see Formula 1 hold two races in the United States later this year if changes are made to the existing calendar.
Luke Smith
Edited: Jul 11, 2021, 9:31 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The 2021 F1 schedule currently stands at 22 races, but doubts remain over some of the flyaway events later in the year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Singapore Grand Prix scheduled for September has already been cancelled, while there are questions marks over events in Japan, Australia, Mexico and Brazil.
One option under consideration to make up for Singapore's cancellation is running a second race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, which is set to host the United States Grand Prix on 24 October.
Austin track officials are known to be open to the idea, and it could prove lucrative for F1 at a time when it is enjoying a big boom in the United States, with a second permanent race planned in Miami from 2022.
Asked by Motorsport.com if it was a no-brainer for F1 to capitalise on this growth and hold two races in the US this year, Brown replied: "Definitely.
"If it works out to where a second double-header is needed, and it works out to where the US can be one of those, I think given the rapid growth, the numbers in America now for the growth of Formula 1 are awesome.
"I think Texas is wide open, and my understanding is it's sold out, so I think you can definitely probably sell out again.
"So I definitely would be very supportive, if we have the opportunity to choose and the stars aligned, to have two races in America.
"I think we'll only continue to accelerate the momentum that the US has."
Read Also:
- Paul Ricard kerbs unchanged despite F1 teams complaints
- Mercedes: F1 didn't have level playing field on tyre pressures
- Vettel's detailed feedback behind long F1 debriefs - Aston Martin
F1 has been enjoying strong TV ratings with ESPN in the United States this year, with much of the growth being stimulated by the success of Netflix's Drive to Survive series.
Brown felt that Drive to Survive had been "the single most important impact in North America" by helping reach a wider audience and convert casual viewers into die-hard fans.
"It's done such a great job, not only just raising awareness, but turning people into avid fans," Brown said.
"You get trend fans, and you hope to put them into the avid fan category.
"From Drive to Survive, I've seen people going from 'I've never watched a Formula 1 race in my life' to 'I'll never miss a Formula 1 race again'.
"That's been a great thing that Liberty did very early on, which is recognise we've got this great sport that we've not let people in to what goes on in the paddock, because Drive to Survive is a little bit less about the on-track action, and it's a little bit more about the off-track action.
"It's such a fascinating sport, with the politics and personalities. I think Drive to Survive has nailed that and exposed that to the world, and it seems to have really resonated in the US."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article French GP: Verstappen fastest by 0.7s in final practice
Next article Steiner: Schumacher and Mazepin tensions 'blown out of proportion'
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Luke Smith
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
Formula 1
Formula 1 Jul 22, 2025
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 19, 2023
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Formula 1
Formula 1 Feb 18, 2023
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Latest news
F2 rebuffs suggestion its title race might be over because of the Iran war
FIA F2
F2 FIA F2 45 min
F2 rebuffs suggestion its title race might be over because of the Iran war
Max Verstappen on GTWC Europe debut: “We’re here to win”
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 9 h
Max Verstappen on GTWC Europe debut: “We’re here to win”
How to watch NASCAR at Phoenix II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
10 h
How to watch NASCAR at Phoenix II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
Ryan Ellis signs multi-year NASCAR O'Reilly deal with Alpha Prime Racing
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Phoenix II
10 h
Ryan Ellis signs multi-year NASCAR O'Reilly deal with Alpha Prime Racing
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe