F1 announced earlier this week that it would be returning to Las Vegas in 2023, staging a new grand prix incorporating the iconic Strip around a 3.8-mile street circuit.
Las Vegas has signed an initial three-year deal to host a grand prix that will be staged on Saturday night, joining the existing US events in Miami and Austin.
It means the United States will stage more races than any other country next year, with three events all on different timezones. The 10pm start time in Las Vegas means the new race will hit the prime-time audience on the west coast of the United States, and will be an early-morning event in mainland Europe on the Sunday.
Domenicali said there were no fears this would lead to the American market becoming diluted, believing each race would appeal to a slightly different audience.
“No dilution, it’s an added value for everyone, because we are hitting the different targets in terms of demographics and location,” Domenicali said.
“The beauty of the growth of our sport in this country is we are reaching a lot of young people that are starting to be thrilled by our sport.
“We have seen before our eyes the drivers, [they are] very young. They have the possibility of sharing through the social channels also who they are, promoting our sport.
“Through them, I think there will be a great connection to develop the sport in the right dimension with the right ideas.”
Miami track drone overview
Photo by: Miami GP
Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei felt confident that all three US races would not only complement each other, but would also attract an international following.
“One of the things that is special about Formula 1 is the global nature,” Maffei said.
“The audience that shows up in Miami will be a global audience, the audience that shows up in Austin already is a global audience.
“I’m absolutely positive the audience that shows up in Las Vegas is going to be a global audience, it’s not just going to be a US audience.”
F1 reported a crowd of 400,000 for the United States Grand Prix in Austin last year, proving the growth of the series in the American market after previously struggling to capture the audience.
The Miami Grand Prix will debut on the calendar this year, while Austin signed a new 10-year deal to stage the United States Grand Prix ahead of this season.
Summing up the US growth, Domenicali said: “If you think where we were three years ago, it was difficult to have one grand prix full of people. Now we are heading to a situation where this year we are going to have two events totally sold out.
“It’s giving you the magnitude of what the US will represent for Formula 1. We feel the vibes, we feel it is really something that needs to belong to this country. This is a huge opportunity.
“To think that next year we’re going to have three races in the US, if you think again back a couple of years ago, you would say you are crazy.
“We are focused on making sure this would be one of the most important markets for F1, not forgetting of course that we were born in Europe, and we are a worldwide sport.
“This is our dimension, and we will stay as it is in that respect.”
