Daniel Ricciardo speaks on F1 growing in the United States of America with multiple races and him being recognised more than before on the streets.
F1 in the United States is witnessing rapid growth in popularity. Although racing has been popular in the States with IndyCar and NASCAR, Formula 1 has hit the core of racing fans significantly since COTA was established in 2012.
Austin has given Formula 1 the chance to activate the sport around the states significantly, especially among the celebrity. This season and with the beginning of the new era of F1, Miami will be hosting the second American event joining the schedule in the first half of May to boost up the level of viewing figures on top of wider interest in the sport.
However, McLaren’s Ricciardo is thrilled to see more circuits in the United States with the upcoming Miami circuit. The Australian feels good to be now recognised in the streets, not just because of the races but also Netflix’s Drive to Survive popularity.
“I am excited to have more races in the United States,” said Ricciardo to written media. “Obviously, sometimes you can’t help it. But if you’re drawn to a place, then it’s just what it is. And I’m definitely drawn to the States. And I have let’s say some friends who are doing a bit of work with the Miami Grand Prix.
“And what they’ve told me so far is, it’s going to be phenomenal. They’re putting so much effort into it, the whole city’s behind. So that’s really exciting. And yeah, I’ve seen even going back to Austin last year, I kind of felt like I was in Melbourne, where I’d walk out of the hotel, and there’s people just yelling out my name and having photos and whatever.
“Like you couldn’t really escape just being a little bit of a, I guess, celebrity. And that was rare to get it to that level if it’s not kind of your home race. Or I don’t know, maybe even a Monza or a Monaco,” summed up Ricciardo, who explains how F1 has been expanding in the U S and how people wouldn’t recognise him 3-4 years ago unlike today.
“To see that was pretty crazy,” said Ricciardo. “And even just travelling and having vacations in the States, three or four years ago, no one would have ever kind of stopped me or recognised me. And now it’s definitely a different ballgame. So it’s fun. It’s obviously not from like a fame point of view. Like, we don’t do it for the fame.
“But the best part about that it’s like this is a sport that myself and probably everyone included on this call has adored pretty much their whole life. So, to be able now to share that with a wider audience and to like, show the sport off and be like, ‘Hey, guys, like I told you, this is cool’, that kind of makes me happy for the sport, to be appreciated in a wider audience,” summed up Ricciardo.
Lately, F1 races has increased viewers especially in 2021 delivering on a different level to prior years as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen went head-to-head for the whole season until Abu Dhabi GP’s last lap which delivered the most controversial story in the F1’s recent history.
The story was written by Oprah Sagal
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