Formula 1’s struggle to conquer the US market not only had as one of its main barriers the disinterest of the local public in the highest category of motorsports, but also series such as NASCAR and, previously CART , as competition.
F1 has seen significant growth in recent years and that was noticeable in the television broadcasts broadcast by ESPN with an additional 54% from the 2020 to 2021 season. The effect was seen in the United States Grand Prix held in 2021 in Austin, with a circuit attendance record of 400 thousand people.
A new acid test for the Great Circus took place last weekend with the dispute of the first Miami Grand Prix in the surroundings of the Hard Rock Stadium . The fifth race on the calendar brought together celebrities such as Michael Jordan , the Serena and Venus Williams sisters, David Beckham, Tom Brady , but also from the music scene such as Bad Bunny or Maluma .
(See here the celebrities who went to the Miami GP before continuing reading)
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
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Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Despite the pre-show and podium ceremony (complete with motorcycle cops), NASCAR once again dealt F1 a blow on television, although the numbers have dropped dramatically.
At the same time that the Miami race started, NASCAR Cup , the main division of stock cars, gave the green flag to its date in Darlington.
The ratings of both races were announced this Tuesday. F1, broadcast through the ABC signal, open television (free), achieved 1.08 rating points, 2,066 million viewers, of which 735,000 belonged to the group of 18-49 years.
For its part, NASCAR obtained 2.614 million viewers for 1.45 rating points, with the race being on FOX Sports 1 , a pay television channel.
The figures show an important jump for F1 when compared to those of 2019 and 2021, the last year in which it was raced without pandemic restrictions. On that occasion, Austin’s race had only 861,000 viewers on ABC, while a year earlier it had 793,000 viewers.
In 2021 the race in the United States finally surpassed one million viewers, gathering specifically 1.23 million in front of the television, but was surpassed by the two million that remained in front of the television for a rain-delayed NASCAR race in Kansas.
