Formula 1’s current owners, Liberty Media, have continued to look for new additions to the calendar, particularly in high-population areas, rather than further afield from cities in the middle of nowhere.
After Miami and Jeddah have hosted races this year, the Las Vegas event will be added next season. While many believe that the presence of classic events is important at the Grand Circus, Lewis Hamilton thinks that, at a time when interest in grand prix racing is booming, it makes a lot of sense to maximize the impact of a race by having it close to the as many fans as possible.
“I’m a bit old school,” said the seven-time champion. “Of course, I love history, especially on certain circuits, but the older I get, they don’t have good resources, they don’t have a great community, and for us as people, driving on a historic track is great, but it’s It’s about people.”
“The fans are what make Formula 1, we have experienced it during the pandemic, nobody was there, and that had no atmosphere, it was like a test day, it was not pleasant,” Hamilton said.
“Now that we see the hundreds of thousands of people who come to the grand prix, you are full of energy, you are excited, wanting to learn more,” said the Mercedes driver.
Hamilton believes that as Formula 1 taps into the interest of a broader fan base, aided by the Netflix effect, the fact that races are held in cities may lead to more diverse demographics attending.
“I think the fans are at the heart of this sport, they create it,” said the Briton. “I love the Nurburgring, for example, but there isn’t a diverse community there, and we can’t have a real impact.”
“In Miami we can do something, I met a lot of kids from different backgrounds, who now want to pursue engineering and STEM subjects and therefore for me it is much better,” concluded the seven-time world champion.
