F1 seeks an American driver to become the hero of its invasion of the USA

Lewis Hamilton went to play golf with NFL star Tom Brady. Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez risked pitches before a baseball game. And Lando Norris presented a custom helmet with the paint of a basketball, setting a new trend among pilots.

Arriving in the US this week for the Miami GP, the F1 drivers have undertaken several actions to win the empathy of the local public, in an attempt to awaken an idolatry to fill the absence of an American on the grid, the main gap in the project. expansion of the category in the country.

Liberty Media, the American company that took control of F1 in 2017, also promoted a series of events to bring local fans closer to the stars on the grid. There was even a presentation show bringing together drivers and team representatives on the lawn of Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

The arena is inside the newly built circuit to host the race this Sunday (8), the fifth stage of the year, at 4:30 pm (GMT) —Band broadcasts. The race was sold out of tickets on sale.

The success in promoting the event reflects the new era of F1 in the US, where historically the category has struggled to fall into popular taste, a barrier torn down especially by the Netflix series “Drive To Surive”, which launched its fourth season this year and The fifth and sixth are already confirmed.

Liberty’s ambition now is to see a US driver in a top team precisely to keep American interest high for years to come. For the CEO of F1, the Italian Stefano Domenicali, it is essential that the chosen competitor is good and has a car capable of fighting for victories.

“It has to be real. It has to be [um piloto] fast, or else it will be a boomerang. That’s why we are working with the American federation to invest in this”, said the executive. “We are working together, respecting the functions, from the commercial point of view and from the organizers’ point of view, who want to develop business in the United States”, he added.

Currently, Colton Herta is the closest American to enter the category grid. He is a driver for the Andretti team at Indy, and the team’s owner, Michael Andretti, has already stated several times his intention to enter F1 in 2024, with Herta as his first option.

The 22-year-old also recently closed a deal with McLaren to test the team’s 2021 car – the team is led by American Zak Brown, and has British Lando Norris, with a contract until 2025, and Australian Daniel Ricciardo as its starters. , with a contract until the end of 2023.

The Andretti family has a long-standing relationship with the championship of European origin. Michael already raced in F1, in 1993, when he competed in 13 races and won a podium, in the Italian GP. There was a lot of expectation around him, after all he is the son of Mario Andretti, world champion in 1978.

Now 82 years old, Mario was the last American to win a stage in F1 – he has 12 over his career, almost half of the 33 US triumphs that also had Phil Hill as champion in 1961.

When the former driver of Italian descent won the 1978 Dutch GP, Democrat Jimmy Carter was the country’s president. Seven politicians have held the White House post after him during the Americans’ 44-year winless hiatus.

Aside from the Andrettis, only 17 US drivers have contested 10 or more races in F1 history. The last to compete in the championship was Alexander Rossi, who played five stages in 2005 for the Marussia team, having a 12th place as his best result, precisely in the stage held in Austin, Texas.

This helps to understand the remoteness of the local public, perceived even by the current drivers on the grid. “I felt there was a big disconnect between the United States and the rest of the world in terms of passion for F1,” said seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. “It’s amazing to see that we broke that,” he said when talking about the Miami GP.

In the absence of a driver from the country, the Americans at least have one team to cheer on, Haas, the only American team on the grid, headed by Guenther Steiner and represented on the tracks by Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time German champion Michael, and the Danish Kevin Magnussen. .

For Steiner, it would be “fantastic” to have an American pilot, but he points out some difficulties in finding a name. “If the pilot isn’t good enough, it’s not good enough for the American market either,” he says. “And the United States is a fantastic place to live. And to dedicate yourself to F1, you have to move to Europe at some point,” he adds.

His and F1’s own hope is that this will not be an obstacle in the near future. “It’s going to take time, but I hope someone comes along one day and is a star.”