America as a goal
Three races in one year, including two in two of the most glamorous locations in the entire nation, Miami and Las Vegas; an American driver and team on the grid, albeit in the second tier; the ownership of sport managed by a stars and stripes company; the TV series Drive to Survivebuilt for the use and consumption of the American public. Everything can be said about Formula 1 in recent seasons, but not that it hasn't made any attempt to curry favor with the American public. Breaking into the States has always been Liberty Media's primary objective and it can be said in part that CEO Greg Maffei's company has achieved it.
Houston, we have a problem: Max always wins
Now, however, it is necessary to maintain this threshold of attention towards sport and – as the champions of any discipline know well – repeating is more difficult than winning the first time. So now the Circus seems to realize it has a problem: Americans are getting bored. Because to the public made in USA you can try to please anything, but you must never serve him a sport in which the winner is predictable. Playoffs, no draws, races decided in the sprint on the edge of a thousandths, the underdog beating the champion. This is the mentality of the States. You may like it or not, but not even F1 will be able to change it. The problem is that after the incredible finale of the 2021 season, decided with a final duel that would seem exaggerated even in a Hollywood film, the era of Max Verstappen has begun. The Dutchman has won 36 of the last 46 races, 30 of the last 36 and 19 of the last 20. And this year he is at two out of two.
Listening in a dive
Not exactly the height of unpredictability. So Americans get bored. This is confirmed by listening data: on the weekend in which Formula 1 raced in Jeddah, NASCAR races (in Phoenix) and IndyCar (in St. Petersburg) were also scheduled. Well, F1 came away with broken bones from the comparison: around 920 thousand spectators followed the GP, compared to 975 thousand for IndyCar and over 4 million for NASCAR. Not only that: NASCAR grew by 19% compared to the same race in 2023, while IndyCar lost 18% of spectators and F1 even 40%. The race was broadcast on ESPN2compared to the main channel ESPNbut this downgrade seems to be a confirmation of this negative trend, rather than a mitigating factor.
'Vanderstoppen' effect
Another significant episode occurred this week ESPN. The popular TV presenter Pat McAfeeduring the show that bears his name, did not spare ato ferocious mockery at the Circus. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was a guest on his program Kyle Busch – among the best-known drivers in America – and McAfee did not hold back from comparing F1 to the NASCAR championship, even going so far as to distort Verstappen's namewhich to the general hilarity it became Max Vanderstoppen. “19 of the last 20 races have been won by Vanderstoppen – began McAfee, eliciting a smile and a joke from Busch, who replied: “it sounds like the name of a watch“. McAfee, however, did not pull the brakes, on the contrary: “He probably has one. The Vanderstoppen clock and Vanderstoppen's dominance have become too boring to watch. He takes pole and then the races are like timed races“.
The Kyle Busch comparison
Finally, Kyle Busch made a 'practical' comparison between the two series, comparing the free-range world of stock cars with the hyper-technological one of the Circus: “NASCAR is like when you go to a bar with a group of friends, order some beers and hang out in the club. F1 is like toasting delicately with two crystal glasses with champagne inside, being careful not to spill a drop and holding your little finger up while you drink it.”. Not the best of ads for a channel that pays around $90 million a year to broadcast races. But for now it seems unlikely that anyone can stop the 'Vanderstoppen' effect.
#Surprise #bores #USA #39Vanderstoppen39 #wins
