(Alastair Staley for the Lotus F1 Team)
Formula One has had a love hate relationship with America.
The sport has competed at circuits such as Long Beach, Caesars Palace, Detroit;
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and since 2012, the Ciruit Of The Americas in
Austin, Texas.
The United States is a massive market for Formula One and the
Circuit of the Americas has become one of the best Formula One venues on the
Grand Prix calendar.
The officials at the Circuit of the Americas have done an
absolutely fantastic job. Former Formula One world champion Mario Andretti has
been an ambassador for the circuit since its inception onto the Formula One
calendar.
The Circuit Of The Americas is the first venue in the United
States to host a Grand Prix since Indianapolis last hosted a Grand Prix in 2007.
Indianapolis made its Formula One debut in the year 2000, and in the eight
seasons at the venue, Ferrari scored the most number of race wins at the
Brickyard with six Grand Prix victories.
In the three seasons since the Circuit of The Americas made
its debut Mercedes powered teams have taken two of the three Grand Prix
victories with Lewis Hamilton winning for McLaren in 2012 and again last season
driving for the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team.
The United States is a massive market
for Mercedes Benz and to have won two of the last three races in Austin.
The United had been due to get a second race in New Jersey
in 2013 but was put back to last season, however that race never happened.
It had been hoped that the race would happen this season but
that is not the case as the only new venue on the Formula One calendar this
season is the Mexican Grand Prix which will take place in Mexico City.
Formula One Supremo Bernie Ecclestone is hopeful of bring a
Formula One race to Las Vegas. The sport is set to get even more popular in
2016 when Gene Haas brings his brand new Haas F1 Team to the grid. The American
businessman who runs a successful NASCAR operation in Charlotte, North Carolina
has staff already in place at his teams European HQ in Banbury, Oxfordshire in the
UK where the Marussia F1 Team was based.
The Haas F1 Team will be powered by Ferrari after striking
up a technical partnership with the Italian company.
In 2005, Formula One shot itself in the foot in the United
States after only six cars took part in the United States Grand Prix at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the Michelin supplied teams pulled out of the
race on safety grounds.
The race in Austin has more than made up for what happened
in Indianapolis. The race at the Circuit Of The Americas has become a week-long
festival in Down Town Austin.
© Ben Johnston 2015
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