Lewis Hamilton believes Formula 1 is here to stay in the United States after finally catching the attention of American sports fans. F1 will stage its first race in Florida for more than 60 years on 8 May, at the all-new Miami International Autodrome. The venue is one of three in the United States to hold a contract with F1, with a race in Las Vegas set to join the calendar in 2023. And a race in the party-city of Miami signals victory in F1's long fight to crack the American market, Hamilton says.
Miami build-up has been "nerve-wracking"
Over 250,000 people registered for tickets to the Miami Grand Prix, which will be held on a temporary circuit on the site of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Hamilton first called upon F1 to stage a race in Miami back in 2017, adding that the event was top of his wish list. "It's been nerve-wracking because it's going to be huge, such a huge event for us," Hamilton said, speaking on Good Morning America . "We obviously have the race in Austin, Texas, which has always been amazing. "The first race I had out here was Indianapolis in 2007 but now, with the Netflix series Drive To Survive growing, we have two Grands Prix in the States, and then we have another one in Vegas next year. It's going to be huge."
F1 is here to stay in the US, says Hamilton
Hamilton himself broke the US market a number of years ago, thanks to his close relationships with some of the world's biggest showbiz stars. But it is due to Drive to Survive that the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris have seen their profiles in the US grow. When asked if he feels F1 is now here to stay in the American market, Hamilton said: "I think so, yeah. I've been coming out here for a long, long time, but I never quite understood why people weren't into Formula 1. "Everyone knew NASCAR and, obviously, you've got such huge sports fans out here. "But, as I said, the Netflix show, particularly through the pandemic, has just brought massive awareness to the sport, and now it's booming."
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