With Liberty Media’s takeover of Formula One ownership, could expanding the schedule in the United States be on the docket? We look at the candidates.
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Not a year goes by in racing where fans aren’t clamoring for more races in new places. Whether it’s NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula One, or any other series, their passionate gearheads want to see more of their favorite drivers and teams in new places around our nation and around the globe. F1 may be the one series that gets this push the most, however.
As the leading world championship under the FIA banner, Formula One travels through five different continents over the course of nine months. A record twenty-one races made the cut for the 2016 calendar, adding a new race in Baku, Azerbaijan. Yet, this still leaves off a number of countries that recently hosted races and others that have hoped to land on the calendar.
It is very rare that you would see a country host F1 for one year, then suddenly drop off the calendar. There are some cases, however, of countries only getting to host the series for a few seasons before problems arise, like in India and South Korea. Other tradition-rich countries for the sport have been left off due to lack of agreements or lack of space, including Turkey and France. At one point, the United States was also on this list.
Today, some doubts have swirled over the future of the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. But with a strong show of support in 2016 and the takeover of F1 by Liberty Media, perhaps the tides have changed for the series in the USA. While talk almost always existed of the United States being able to support two races, now there may be enough impetus to get it done.
There is certainly no shortage of venues for a second race in the United States. From street courses to permanent road courses, F1 has their pick of the litter when it comes to where to expand in the USA. The question is – will they do it, and if so, when?
Could the track that has seen a divisive fight over its future get back on track by adding a big name to the schedule? Credit: Darren Pierson
Laguna Seca
While the track has had its fate up in the air for some time now, it once had aspirations to host a Formula One race. In 1988, improvements were made to the course to try and attract F1 from Detroit to the facility, while competing for the spot with Phoenix. In the end, the desert southwest won out, but Laguna Seca continues to operate today with a number of high-profile events.
Today, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosts races for the FIM World Superbike Championship, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the Pirelli World Challenge. The twisting course also previously hosted MotoGP and CART. However, in recent years, it has been embroiled in a battle for the future of racing between its non-profit promoter and Monterey County, threatening any races going forward.
Should Laguna Seca survive into the future of racing, it could be a welcomed home for F1 in America. With improvements to the facility, and its close proximity to San Francisco and Los Angeles, the track could be a hit with a growing fan base. However, it would certainly fall behind other contenders for a second U.S. F1 race.
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin now hosts NASCAR, IndyCar, and sports car racing each year. Do they have space for F1 too? Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Road America
The beauty and rolling hills of Wisconsin have quickly become a favorite of race teams and fans who travel to Elkhart Lake. Road America is now home to nearly every major motorsport series in America, including big names like NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA. But can Formula One be added to this list?
Road America makes the list of potential Formula One venues not only because of its recognition in the motorsports community but its beauty overall. Comparisons can be made for the course to Spa-Francorchamps or the Nurburgring due to its scenic location and surroundings. Of course, the track itself needs to be in great condition for F1, and perhaps some improvements would need to be made.
Though the track fits well with the mold of others on the F1 calendar, the calendar itself could prove to be problematic. Located in Wisconsin, Road America would not be able to host races for the series until May likely at the earliest, and no later than October. That tightens a window that’s already filled with a number of other races, including IndyCar in June, NASCAR in August, and many other series too. In order to get Formula One drivers to grid up on the uphill in Elkhart Lake, likely one or two of these series would have to leave the track.
There hasn’t been a race on the streets of Las Vegas since Champ Car’s final years. Could Bernie Ecclestone’s big idea come to life? Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Las Vegas
One of Bernie Ecclestone’s biggest pet projects in recent years has been to create a street race on the strip in Las Vegas. Those efforts took a big step forward in 2016, with public acknowledgment of the ongoing desires ahead of Liberty Media’s purchase. The question now becomes whether the new owners will help boost the possibilities of this race being added.
Of course, Sin City is no stranger to big races, whether F1 or otherwise. The Caesar’s Palace Grand Prix ran from 1981 to 1984 with Formula One for the first two years and CART in the final two. The circuit ran through the parking lot of Caesar’s Palace, but the race disappeared once the lot was replaced by new developments on the strip. Since then, Las Vegas Motor Speedway has become the big motorsports facility in town, hosting NASCAR each year. Champ Car was the last series to ultimately run on the Las Vegas streets in 2007.
The excitement of Las Vegas is not just something that Formula One has found in recent years. The NHL awarded an expansion franchise to the city, and the NFL’s Raiders are looking at Sin City as a possible new home. Clearly, Vegas is hopping with sports, but will F1 fit into its ever-growing profile?
Lewis Hamilton considers the U.S. as his second home. He was in attendance at NASCAR’s season finale in Miami last year. Will F1 join them in South Beach soon? Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Miami
South Beach and southern Florida has always been a hot spot for celebrities and stars. It’s also a great place to go see some racing, with the Homestead-Miami Speedway hosting the season finale for all three of NASCAR’s top divisions. But could the streets of Miami be a potential home for the world’s fastest drivers?
Miami has previously hosted street racing for open-wheeled machines, including CART and Formula E. A number of configurations were used, with most recently the Miami ePrix being run near Museum Park and the American Airlines Arena. However, these races never lasted for more than four consecutive years for CART. The Formula E event was dropped after one year, with protests also posing an issue for the race.
The issue with Miami as a potential host for F1 would be the environment. Protesters came out against the Formula E race due to these concerns, and one would expect those issues to be heightened with a Formula One race. Furthermore, while NASCAR draws in large crowds for the event, it is the season finale. A second southern F1 race may not draw the same size of audience as the race at Circuit of the Americas.
With the big names and the big dollars, Formula One could be the next big series to target New York City. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
New York City
Ah yes, the city that never sleeps. Many have come to New York City with their great American dream, hoping to find great success and glory. Formula One may follow other motorsports endeavors into the Big Apple, but they will have to get past some challenging past attempts just over the river.
There have been two key failed attempts to bring F1 to the New York City metro, one in the 1980s and one as recently as 2010. In 1983, three locations in the region were being considered for races in 1984 and 1985, including the Meadowlands, Flushing Meadows in Queens, or Long Island. None of the locations panned out for the world championship, but CART would run a grand prix in the Meadowlands from 1984 to 1991.
The more recent attempt came in 2010, with the promise of racing against the New York skyline by 2012. The promoters of the event settled in on racing in Weehawken, New Jersey along Port Imperial Drive. However, massive delays in funding the event caused it to be left off the calendar year after year, despite continued support from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. The project remains off the calendar and incomplete.
Of course, Formula One will be the second open-wheel series to race in the metro area if an event gets off the ground. Formula E has confirmed a doubleheader event on the streets of NYC for the summer of 2017, helping to cap off their third season of competition. The success (or failure) of this event could speak volumes as to the viability of F1 in the big city.
Would you like to see Formula One add a second race in America? Where would you like to see the world championship head next?
