AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Grand Prix was special. If there was any doubt before this weekend, Sunday’s race was proof that Formula One has finally arrived in America. And it could be here to stay for a long time.
A record crowd and a carnival-like atmosphere saw the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) race return in style at the weekend. Boosted by one of the sport’s all-time great championship battles between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton and riding the wave of popularity created by three seasons of Netflix’s wildly successful “Drive to Survive”, the steps F1 has made since the last U.S. Grand Prix in 2019 were clear to see.
These are uncharted waters for Formula One, having spent decades trying and failing to crack the American market. This U.S. Grand Prix felt different to any which has come before, in Texas or any other venue. It felt as much like an Indy 500 as it did a Formula One race. It wasn’t just the buzz of a record crowd or the return to a popular venue after the pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s edition, this one felt different. It felt so much bigger.
Hamilton, the sport’s most globally recognisable star, remarked after the race how the whole event felt like F1 finally making a breakthrough after decades of trying to strike it big Stateside.
“I think this is definitely our acceptance into the US,” the seven-time world champion said immediately after the race, in which he finished second after a tense battle with Verstappen worthy of the race’s bumper crowd numbers.
“What a place to be. It’s a real honour to be out here, I hope we get more races out here.
“I hope that the sport continues to grow because you can tell just how great the fans are out here, so I hope we get to come back more.”
Crucially, the race between Verstappen and Hamilton was worthy of the occasion.
“Formula One’s made a big statement…
Source : espn
