Formula 1 is growing in popularity in the US: Miami has the biggest audience ever

Although the popularity of Formula 1 is less and less noted by some fans and experts due to the dominance of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, the premier class is on the rise in America. The Miami Grand Prix broke the race’s viewership record again this season.

Max Verstappen started the Miami Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday afternoon, edging out teammate Sergio Perez at the start and the Dutchman looked set to take his fifth win of the season. However, things turned out a little differently, as Logan Sargent and Kevin Magnussen ended abruptly behind three-time world champion Lando Norris after a safety car situation due to a crash. The McLaren driver was fast at the Miami circuit and drove unimpeded to his first Formula 1 win.

High numbers

Anyway, he did it in front of 3.1 million viewers in the US on the channel ABC, breaking the previous record of 2.6 million viewers set in 2022. It was slightly lower in the United States last season, with an average of just 2.1 million viewers tuning in to see who would win the Grand Prix. The sport seems to be gaining popularity again in a country that was mainly interested in IndyCar and NASCAR, but is increasingly embracing Formula 1. Saturday’s sprint race – televised by ESPN – was good for nearly a million viewers. The highest number since its introduction.

Drive to survive

Thanks to the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, the drivers’ popularity is at an all-time high, Norris noted while talking about his King’s Day party in Amsterdam last weekend: “No, I was instantly recognized. But every driver these days because of Drive to Survive and things like that, they Not necessarily racing fans.” The British know. For now, with three races, the sport is also growing in America.

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