F1 has witnessed massive growth in popularity over the last few years, especially in the United States of America. Drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo, who were already huge stars in America, became even more famous after the release of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, which contributed immensely to the sport’s growth.
Super Bowl champion Tom Brady praises Lewis Hamilton as he looks set to join him as a six-time world champion 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XiE7r6917v
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) November 2, 2019
Until 2021, we had only one race in the US on the F1 calendar, which took place in Austin. Last year, however, saw the introduction of the Miami GP, which was a huge commercial success. Miami is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US and home to several celebrities. As a result, the race gained a lot of attention, and we saw some of the biggest names trackside for the Miami GP.
Before the inaugural Miami GP, Hamilton attended a charity event with Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen alongside NFL legend Tom Brady. There, the two of them were talking about the significance of having a race in Miami, and that’s when Hamilton compared the upcoming Grand Prix to a Super Bowl.
Lewis Hamilton happy about F1’s expansion in the US
Hamilton, while speaking to Brady, told him that he was excited about F1 having more races in the US. The American people were warming up to the sport, and having a flagship race in the country would help the sport’s popularity skyrocket even further.
Some guy with 7 world titles, and Tom Brady @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/T90mDEQ4sQ
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 4, 2022
“At one stage we didn’t have a Grand Prix here,” said Hamilton as quoted by CNN. “Then we only had one Grand Prix. Now we’re expanding. I think this is going to be like our Super Bowl.”
Hamilton also admitted that the thought of racing in Miami also made him very nervous, because there was a lot of expectation and also because of the fact that it was a brand new circuit.
Las Vegas joins Miami and Austin in American F1 calendar
Between 2008 and 2011, there wasn’t a single American race on the F1 calendar. In 2012, the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas was chosen to be the host of the United States GP, and it became a mainstay in the calendar.
However, when F1 saw the sport grow Stateside, they decided to add Miami to the calendar and it was a financial success. Now, there will be yet another race added to the calendar that takes place in the US. Las Vegas will host the penultimate round of the 2023 season, and it is one of the most anticipated races in recent years.
