When asked what the biggest motorsport in America is, American Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford said he would rank Formula 1 at the top.
While he admitted that he may have been biased with his answer, his answer has some truth to it. Formula 1 has found its way back to America after years of failed attempts.
For many years, Formula 1 has struggled to appeal to the American audience. There were either small crowds or the races were confusing. Even in California, home to the iconic Long Beach Grand Prix, interest had dwindled down a lot.
Attempts to bring F1 to America just seemed to fall flat over the years, but now, things have changed. There is more fan engagement, high-profile races in the States, and even a Netflix series on it.
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Now that more people are embracing the game, it is becoming one of the popular sports to bet on. This is one way fans typically express their passion for a sport. In California, racing fans are looking for platforms that have great F1 odds and special promos.
Newcomers or those unsure about where to start can see the full list of sportsbooks before placing bets on the next race.
Before now, the U.S was an embarrassment for F1. One of its worst moments was the 2005 Grand Prix in Indianapolis, where only six cars started the race. Many fans walked out, and that moment felt like the end of F1 in America.
Now, with three major races in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, Formula 1 seems to have found its place in America. The sport isn’t just about speed, but the experience of being at the grid, which includes entertainment with celebrities and music.
Previous managements have failed at bringing the sport back to America, but current owners, Liberty Media Corporation, have done what many would’ve deemed impossible. They changed the way the sport was presented and made it more fan friendly.
By teaming up with Netflix to create the “Drive to Survive” series, they gave fans a feel of what happened behind the scenes with the drivers and teams. The corporation recently acquired MotoGP and WorldSBK as well.
The series made the sport more exciting and easier to follow, especially for people who weren’t familiar with the sport. F1 capitalized on this opening by releasing the F1 movie with Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt as one of the stars.
What makes this growth more impressive is the fact that it is becoming popular in a country where NASCAR and IndyCar are part of the sports culture.
Jak Crawford, who might be America’s best hope of being on the 2026 grid, has said that he thinks Formula 1 is the biggest motorsport. He mentioned that although he doesn’t know the stats about Formula 1 in the States.
He believes the sport is growing bigger than it used to be, and that he would rank it above IndyCar. His view is not far off. Formula 1 now averages 1.3 million U.S viewers per race this season, compared to a few years ago when it was only about 550,000.
Crawford has just won his second feature race of the season at Silverstone, where he beat Luke Browning and Alex Dunne to a top podium finish. Backed by Aston Martin, Crawford sits second in the title race and is just eight points off Richard Verschoor, who leads the log.
While Crawford doesn’t know where he’ll be next year, it is believed that if he wins the Formula 2 championship and keeps Aston Martin’s support, he may be on the Formula 1 grid very soon.
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