Formula 1 is riding the crest of a wave at the moment thanks to the success of Netflix 'Drive to Survive' series and the latest Brad Pitt film 'F1'. This has had a particularly positive effect in the United States, a country F1 has always historically struggled to penetrate.
The sport has sought to capitalise on its rising popularity by creating showcase events in major cities Miami and Las Vegas. This means that there are now 3 American F1 races on the 24 race calendar, significantly more than any other country.
We thought we'd celebrate F1's recent success in the US by putting together a list of our top 5 American F1 races out of the 13 different venues which have previously hosted a race in the county. Let's start off with a circuit which was F1's permanent home in the US for 20 years.
1. Watkins Glen - New York
Watkins Glen is a historic, permanent racing circuit located in the scenic Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, just outside of the village of Watkins Glen. It first opened its doors in 1956, hosting its first F1 race in 1961. It would go on to become a permanent feature on the calendar, hosting 20 consecutive races between 1961 and 1980. This firmly established Watkins Glen as F1's home in the United States
Nicknamed 'The Glen', the circuit was a popular one with drivers thanks to its fast flowing configuration which allowed the cars to reach high speeds. In fact, it was often considered to be one of the best circuits in the world at the time, facing favourable comparisons to Silverstone and Spa in Belgium. It was a major hit with fans too, attracting high hillside crowds.
While the high speed nature of the track made it a popular one with drivers, this trait also made it rather unsafe at a time when driver fatalities were an all too regular occurrence. The death of Helmut Koinigg and famous race winning Tyrrell driver Francois Cevert put a black mark against the event. Despite improvements having been made, the ever increasing speeds of the cars in the 1970s led to F1 seeking a safer venue.
Nevertheless, with a streak of 20 consecutive races and the event's ability to attract large crowds made it the only permanent US race the sport has ever had. That was until more recent additions.
2. Circuit of the Americas - Austin, Texas
First added to the calendar in 2012, the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, was built specifically for F1 at a time when the sports popularity in the states was at an all time low.
Designed by acclaimed F1 circuit architect Hermann Tilke, the circuit unashamedly 'borrowed' corners from other popular F1 tracks, mimicking the Maggots/Becketts sweeps at Silverstone and the notorious 'Turn 8' at Istanbul Park. It knitted all of these popular corners together with long straights and plenty of overtaking opportunities, making it popular with both drivers and spectators. Tilke also made sure that the circuit had plenty of run off area too, ensuring impeccable safety standards.
It has gone on to become a regular feature in the F1 calendar and still maintains its October slot on the calendar to this day. Despite there having been only two largely unsuccessful American F1 drivers over this time, Lewis Hamilton has become a firm fan favourite. He often rewards this support with strong showings, winning the race 5 times and sewing up the World Championship at the circuit twice, in 2015 and 2018.
You can book Texas Grand Prix Holiday Packages with Elegant Sports. We'll take care of everything from arranging Paddock Club access, to booking luxury hotels and organising your flights. That leaves you free to enjoy an event which is a must visit for hardcore F1 fans.
3. Long Beach - California
The Long Beach Grand Prix was the brainchild of former travel agent Chris Pook, who was inspired by the Monaco Grand Prix and felt a similar street circuit American F1 race in California could achieve similar success.
Using streets close to the port of Long Beach which were largely devoid of investment, the first race at the venue for a meagre Formula 5000 event attracted over 30,000 spectators. This laid the foundations for the first F1 event in 1976 which would run alongside the aforementioned Watkins Glen event which was starting to edge its way off the calendar. It was an important period for F1 in the USA, with home driver Mario Andretti being a major front runner. In fact, Andretti won the second race at Long Beach in 1977 on his way to sealing his first and only World Championship.
Despite attracting major crowds, the event failed to make much profit due to the high fees demanded by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. The decision was therefore made to make the Long Beach Grand Prix an Indycar event, with the race still being a mainstay on the Indycar series calendar to this very day.
4. Las Vegas Strip Circuit - Las Vegas
The latest American F1 race to have been added to the calendar is the Las Vegas event which takes place on the famous Las Vegas strip. Taking place in November, the event has been scheduled to occur during an off-peak period for the city ensuring the disruption is kept to a minimum given that many of the streets around the region are closed off.
Despite there only having been two races here so far, it has already been a major success with over 300,000 fans flocking to the circuit over the course of the 2024 race. This has helped one of the weakest months of the year for the city in terms of revenue generation, one of the most successful.
The Las Vegas race is now considered to be a showcase event for F1 alongside the races in Monaco and Singapore. To give you an idea about how seriously the sport is taking this America F1 race, it is the only event that they promote themselves and they also spent $240 million to buy a permanent plot of land in the city where they could build the necessary pits and paddock complex. Quite the investment!
However, this wasn't F1's first attempt to make it big in Vegas. The previous event took place in the car park of the famous Caesars Palace Hotel in 1981. Despite being the championship decider, the event was about as successful as you would imagine a race around a car park might be. The track layout was widely criticised by drivers who had to contend with searing desert temperatures. It was a commercial flop too, failing to attract large crowds despite its central location and the high hosting fees demanded by Ecclestone. Perhaps the biggest surprise was they ran a second race in 1982 which was even less successful than the first.
The modern day Las Vegas Grand Prix is an altogether different affair, with its challenging configuration, top class hospitality facilities and evening race start time making it popular with drivers, teams, spectators and TV viewers. You can take advantage of the Las Vegas Grand Prix holiday packages that are available with Elegant Sports and see this incredible event with your own eyes. It's a weekend of absolute indulgence that you can't afford to miss.
5. Miami Grand Prix
Another new American F1 race to have been added to the calendar in recent years has been the Miami Grand Prix which takes place around the grounds and private facilities of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Since hosting its first race in 2022, Miami has quickly established itself as one of the highlights of the calendar. Its prime location and exceptional hospitality facilities attracts plenty of fans and the odd celebrity with the likes of Donald Trump, Timothee Chalamet, Gordon Ramsey and NFL star Terry Crews being just a few of the many A listers to have been attracted to what is one of the most glitzy events on the F1 calendar.
What really sets the Miami event apart from other races on the calendar are the efforts the organisers make to encourage fan interaction. Those with grandstand tickets can try their hand at f1 simulators, nail their flag to the mast at merchandise stalls, enjoy live music performances from world famous artists and take part in exclusive team competitions.
Those who upgrade to the Paddock Club meanwhile have far greater access to the drivers and teams in the pits and paddock complex, are provided with exceptional cuisine, benefit from special driver appearances and can even join beach parties at The Hard Rock Beach Club. Elegant Sports offers Miami Grand Prix Hospitality Packages which provide guests with access to all of this combined with luxury hotels and flights. It's an event that no serious sports fan can afford to miss.