So can the sport justify running three American races in one season? Absolutely, and few in the sport would bother to argue, given America’s continued commercial power.
And it’s not the first time this has happened either. In 1982, Caesars Palace completed a trio of US GP West held in Long Beach and what was then a new venue for the US GP itself on the streets of Detroit.
At the time, 16 races made up the F1 calendar. This year, a record 23 is expected to be held (once the canceled Russian GP replacement is named), and the only question now is how many more F1s can squeeze in.
Contractually the limit is 24, and with Qatar and China both planning to return next year as well, some races will have to give way. There’s talk of a rotation system, but whether that’s viable for busy promoters around the world is another question.
What’s missing is an American driver from home. Michael Andretti, son of Mario, is about to enter F1 with his own team and plans to bring with him his young California Indycar star, Colton Herta. But F1 seems cool about the idea, especially rival teams who don’t fancy cutting their own slice of the sport’s financial pie. Self-interest has never been far from the surface in this world. But the name Andretti and a talented American driver? It would seem like a slam-dunk from a promotional standpoint.
What’s also noteworthy about today’s announcement is that the Las Vegas race will take place on a Saturday night, although this won’t be confirmed until the full schedule is released later in the week. ‘year.
Again, Saturday races are nothing new: Grands Prix, including for years the British, used to be held sometimes on the first day of the weekend. But it will be the first since 1985 and in itself is a bright neon sign that Liberty is open to a degree of flexibility that didn’t exist when Bernie Ecclestone was ringmaster.
A glitzy race on a Saturday night on the Strip in the gambling capital of the world? Seems like a safe bet to us – and it’s better than parking any day of the week.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-31 09:25:07
