An F1 journalist revealed that immigration at Miami airport had no idea what Formula 1 and thought it involved horse racing.
Over the last few years, F1 has grown a lot as a sport. The number of people watching races is substantially increasing every year, and it’s made the sport a global spectacle.
In particular, we’ve seen a sharp increase in viewership in the United States. Netflix’s superhit docu-series, ‘Drive to Survive’ plays a major role in the promotion of F1. Until 2021, there was just one American race on the calendar, but that changed this year.
F1 travels to Miami for the first time ever this weekend. It is one of the two races that will be held in the US this campaign, and Las Vegas will also be added as a venue next season onwards.
It’s a testament to just how popular the sport has become over the last few years, especially in the USA. In fact, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali does not rule out adding more American races to the calendar if need be.
Has F1 really grown in the USA as much as we think?
On his Twitter account, F1 journalist Christian Menath revealed how the Miami airport immigration had no idea what F1 is. The officer asked him what his purpose of visit was, to which he answered, “Reporting for Formula 1.”
Menath then revealed how the immigration officer asked him what that was. Even when he told him it was racing, the immigration officer was puzzled and questioned if it was ‘horse racing’.
No one can doubt how much F1 has grown in the US over the last few years. In the 2021 campaign, we witnessed the biggest ever audience in an F1 race in America at the COTA in Austin. However, when organizers an F1 insist that there’s still room for a lot more growth, they mean it.
Historically, series like NASCAR and IndyCar have been more popular in America. But Formula 1 is gaining ground, and they will grow a lot more in terms of viewership and fan following over the next few years.
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