When Formula 1 FAILED in America

[@F1Krazy]

You haven't actually mentioned the most circus-y facts about the Sebring race: a) Alec Ulmann invited the reigning Indy 500 champion to take part to drum up publicity, and he showed up to the race with a midget car in the delusional belief it would be faster than an F1 car (spoiler alert: it wasn't); and b) Harry Schell qualified third after finding a shortcut and bypassing part of the track.

[@speediskey3856]

where did you find the info from point a?

[@sean8363]

Some of my favorite stories to come from American Motorsport history lol

[@sean8363]

@@speediskey3856 I believe Aiden Millward did a video talking about this Sebring race, including both the stories

[@F1Krazy]

@@speediskey3856 It's mentioned on Wikipedia, citing the autobiography of John Cooper (found of the Cooper team)

[@MaveRick01]

Dude did a real life one lap speedrun

[@nickluby2183]

I think F1s big problem in America is once they get a little bit of success they try to expand by going for the gimmicky races. I think they would earn more long term fans by going to established American venues like Road America or Mid Ohio instead of chasing the short term money in Las Vegas or Miami or New York street circuits.

[@cbj4sc1]

Mid-ohio and Road America would probably be ruined by taking them to grade 1 status.

[@nickluby2183]

@@cbj4sc1 probably, which is the unfortunate part of it all

[@nickluby2183]

@The LIM Report Mid Ohio I agree with, but I've never understood that argument for Road America. Indycar always draws a big crowd for it l, NASCAR drew over 100k fans two years in a row. Sure, it's a few hours from cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis, but I think the people would still show up for it.

[@rianrushwood1426]

As an Ohioan, I’d love a mid Ohio race, but it’s never gonna happen, as big as Columbus is, the track is Too rural and wouldn’t be able to handle like half the country coming in at once bc there’s no other northern races

[@cbj4sc1]

@The LIM Report I never understand why people suggest tracks like WG and Road America. Yes they're great circuits but Indycar isn't F1 nor is IMSA or NASCAR. Just because a lot of these American tracks work for Indy doesn't mean it'll work for F1. And if F1 changed the cars to be closer to Indycars fans will just bitch about F1 trying to "artificially improve the racing product"

[@samjeunnette5904]

As a Clevelander, I really appreciate the hastily made tourism video being used 🤣🤣🤣

[@JoshuaC923]

Hilarious😂😂

[@BillyRamirez]

The great Mike Polk Jr made it. He had a web series called "Man in the Box" back in the day.

[@samjeunnette5904]

@@BillyRamirez that and the factory of sadness are classic mike Polk Jr bits

[@kvltizt]

see our river that catches on fire it’s so polluted that all our fish have AIDS

[@ErikZarins]

Same haha

[@alecerdmann8505]

From the '60s until the infamous mid-90s split IndyCar was the most popular motorsport in the USA and much more popular than it is now. Some of the drivers were actually household names and I gather that F1 was viewed as "Foreign IndyCar" and in the US being viewed as the foreign version of something we already have is always going to be a tough sell.

[@claytondurst4075]

And eventually NASCAR became the second most popular U.S. sport in general, so there was no interest in F1.

[@RRaquello]

In the early 70s, when I was a very young racing fan, Formula One, or, as it was always called in those days, Grand Prix Racing, had a pretty high prestige and visibility factor in the US. Jackie Stewart was as famous in the US as any American or IndyCar driver, on a level with Foyt or Andretti or Richard Petty, and probably more famous than the Unsers, Allisons or Johnny Rutherford. Graham Hill was also very well known. Whoever won the World Championship in a particular year would be well advertised. I remember Jody Scheckter being featured in advertisements, and he's not considered one of the great names in F1 history,. There weren't many races on TV, but there was a presence in advertising and marketing. Lewis Hamilton is supposed to be the "face" of modern Formula One. I wonder how many average Americans would even know who Hamilton was. I'd bet even today Jackie Stewart would have a higher name recognition in the US than Hamilton.

[@Indycarfanatic2024]

Indycar is a better series than F1 right now. From a fans perspective Indycar is superior to nascar and F1. I say this as someone who watches all 3

[@charlieboddy1022]

As an American, the prices for all of the Grand Prix in the US are so ridiculously expensive that it was cheaper for me to go Montreal this year (and also closer, I could almost fly to Europe with the time it would take me to get to Austin or Las Vegas). Although F1 may be growing in the US, it is not accessible at all and has by far some of the most expensive prices for tickets, I think GA in Miami was $600 each, which is insane. I don't know who can afford to go these races, and I've already heard rumors that Las Vegas is also going to be $500+ for the cheapest ticket. Having more American races brings me literally no benefit and I would highly recommend to US fans that they check out the Canadian GP because you will most definitely save loads of money to see a race that is at least better than Miami and likely Vegas. Also, I am attending Silverstone 2023 because it was still cheaper to buy tickets there and fly there than to attend any race in the US.

[@ahogg5960]

Nothing new there. I am constantly surprised at how much American promoters think fans will pay for tickets to anything.

[@Indycarfanatic2024]

Yes F1 has no true interest in American fans American racers or an American team. They’re just here to get money and massive corporate sponsors. Producing quality racing and increasing fans is not a goal at all for F1. They care more about having celebrities in the paddock to take instagram photos and get some good shots for the DTS fanboys. All you need to know about F1 in America is that as an American you are better off just going to a race in Europe bc the cost will be exactly the same when things are all said and done.

[@ChaostheClown]

That's actually absurd pricing wtf lol they're missing out on loads of revenue to just appeal to the select few willing to cough that up when, as you pointed out, there's cheaper and better alternatives.

[@crystalracing4794]

$500 for a ticket at Las Vegas?! I thought Silverstone was a rip off, but d#mn!

[@thatboifr0sty870]

@@crystalracing4794 it gets worse, if you want a trackside hotel its going to be THOUSANDS of dollars

[@NavF1]

And now they're trying to make up by having 3 races... COTA is fantastic, great viewership too (400k+ fans) but Miami and Vegas are flashy venues that won't last long

[@JamesLikesCoffee]

Not to mention the overarching theme of dissatisfaction with street tracks. F1 is 'supposed' to be the pinnacle of Motorsport, and subsidising with a very poor track surface/layout/readiness isn't appropriate.

[@Glibzer]

Bring back watkins glen

[@AndrewScott1337]

@@Glibzer I agree, we have so many great circuits in the US and for some reason we're watching F1 cars drive around a parking lot lol

[@ISilencerI]

sadly Miami has a contract til like 2030 last time I checked... absolutely ridiculous

[@seventh-hydra]

They should just go to Long Beach again instead

[@eddieredmann3]

To quote Peggy Hill with regard to Phoenix, "This city should not exist! It's a monument to man's arrogance!"

[@ramon0ad]

5:32 "Which arguably is the best open world series in the world" Now i want a video talking about that.

[@HotboiEngineering]

Unfortunately Josh all 3 of the GPs within my home country are outrageously expensive to attend. It’s actually cheaper for me, as an American, to go to Europe to watch a GP than to attend any US race.

[@TheJudge2017]

As a Racefan in New York, it's a shame Watkins Glen is not on the schedule. Also, as someone who has been to Watkins Glen what do you mean "Semi-country side". It's on top of a hill Surrounded by fields. It is a Country side place.

[@David_Larkin]

Well, Watkins Glen doesn't have the Grade 1 certification from the FIA so even if the demand was there, they would have to make changes to the circuit so it complies to the rules

[@TheJudge2017]

@@David_Larkin I know and it's unfortunate.

[@anareel4562]

@@TheJudge2017 i think more unfortunate would be upgrading The Glen to Grade 1 standards and losing a lot of the character the track has. I myself would love if F1 came back to Mosport but I don't want the track upgraded to Grade 1 as it wouldn't be the same track at all.

[@crystalracing4794]

I used to play Nascar because I had a neighbour bought the game from America (I'm a Brit) and loved Watkins. But yeah it's too fast for F1

[@TheJudge2017]

@@crystalracing4794 I don't know how much faster it would be than places like Austria. It's 2.45Miles on NASCAR circuit and the full track is over 3 miles

[@EricBurns1]

I like how F1 kept going "this place sucks. We're leaving." In comes IndyCar and makes it a great event. Long Beach is the Crown Jewel of the street circuits and Belle Isle was used up until this year (now moving to the city). IndyCar is in Dallas... at the oval track. They used to run in Vegas at that oval until... ummm... Bernie kept saying "no" and IndyCar said "yes."

[@mets137781]

Great video. couple of comments. 1. Watkins Glen in the 70s looked more like rock concert than an F1 race. Both my parents were regulars and they would speak of the bog where anything went (impromptu demolition derby, buses being set on fire etc). It also got a happy ending as it went on to be a regular Nascar circuit albeit on the short circuit. 2. One you missed around the early 80s was the massive change in Indycars moving from USAC to CART. CART drastically changed the face of open wheel racing in US in the early 80s moving from mostly ovals to the hybrid oval/street circuit / road course lineup it is today. This is where Road America, Mid Ohio and Long beach joined up. It made sense that the US series would try to snap up the best courses in the states and shut F1 out. 3. Cleveland had a great course at their airport that would have been really interesting to see F1 race on. Wide open bumpy and fast. 4. You left out that Riverside stayed on a major road course for Nascar into the 90s.

[@DuddleBug5]

F1 was also planed to run at Ontario Motor Speedway in California I think in 1972 or something

[@SiVlog1989]

Based on how it panned out, due to things like naff touches and a track surface that broke up, being managed by "localised repairs," we can add Miami to the list

[@RaabStephan]

I still say bring F1 back to Indy. The Indy car GP track is pretty sweet!

[@djvycious]

14:55 Why is this layout (like on Wikipedia) shown as the 1989-1990 venue? The first set of corners saw cars turning right from Jefferson onto 1st St, left onto Madison, Left onto 2nd Street, and right back onto Jefferson. The Grand Prix of Phoenix NEVER used the layout shown at this time stamps. In 1991, cars continued on 1st until Jackson, then left onto 3rd. Part of this I believe was because the stadium (Footprint Center) started construction at the end of 1990. I've been told also the courthouse on Jefferson integrates the old pit complex at the foundation.

[@Blacksheep-uy3qv]

Honestly, even with Miami being so close I'd rather go to Canada for the race 😂

[@kathrinedevries4364]

At least it'd be affordable even with the plane ticket!

[@sparky4878]

Plus doesn’t have the embarrassing driver introductions.

[@diegogordon2291]

9:25 for context: The Darien Gap is a geographical barrer between Panamá 🇵🇦 and Colombia 🇨🇴 that separates them and makes it impossible to cross from one country to another due to the rivers, the heavy rain, the wild animals, and the fact the Gap has been used for trafficking (any kind), puts the nail home. Cheers from Panamá, thanks for mentioning the country, and anyone from Panamá reading FELICES FIESTAS PATRIAS.

[@bagofnails6692]

Amusingly the Darien Gap is where Scotland attempted it's first and only try at colonisation. That attempt and the subsequent backraptcy of the country directly lead the the Actof the Union between Scotland and England and Wales.

[@kibitznec700]

Vaya laope. Metiendo tus puntos.

[@Ssibs647]

One of my teachers for my senior year of high school grew up in Indianapolis. He went to the 2005 GP with his dad. He told me the only thing he can remember was his dad been really pissed off.

[@jameswilson5343]

As an American motorsports fan, been watching Formula 1 since 2012, I can tell you Netflix is a huge reason for F1's success if not literally 90%. It was very rare to know anyone (outside of Indianapolis) that liked anything more unique than NASCAR. Now more people watch F1 than ever here, but the issue I find is they're not MOTORSPORTS FANS, they're F1 fans, and as much as that's all fine and good, its a completely unique sector in American sporting. Also I'm a bit of traditionalist thinking that no country no matter the size deserves more than ONE GP.

[@Rakettivuori]

I know it's a very different climate, but I remember growing loving both F1 and MotoGP, but when we didn't have the channel for MotoGP anymore I stopped watching as a kid and still I'm not as passionate on that as I am with F1 so that could have an affect on that (I know I grew up in a very different climate to America)

[@liam_ii]

Ur right on the money with that one man. I’m glad so many people have found their way into enjoying F1, but a lot of them don’t know anything about any other racing series or a whole lot about cars in the first place.

[@oand10]

you're right, COTA is perfect and it's a wonderful representation of American motorsport, Miami and Vegas are shams.

[@TheoSchattenfang]

DTS did it for me! That and a Finnish boyfriend.

[@RRaquello]

The Netflix show is selling personalities, not racing. It's a soap opera built around racing. Viewers will get attached to certain personalities, and then as those guys age out of the sport, you have to replace the original characters with new characters. this isn't so easy. NASCAR faced this problem and failed. For all of NASCAR's current problems, I believe the real root of their crash was that they never replaced their most popular drivers with new drivers who could inspire the same level of identification and loyalty. In the 90's, at NASCAR's peak, you had Terry & Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and, at the top, Gordon & Earnhardt. The new guys just couldn't cut it with the old guys, and fans of the old drivers, who aged out (with the exception of Earnhardt), stopped watching. Building a sport on characters & personalities might be good for a short term boost, but it's not a long term solution because those drivers have a limited shelf life. And that shelf life is even shorter in F1 than it is in NASCAR.

[@zackster1697]

I live less than 2 hours from the Miami GP. And yet It's still cheaper to go to Austin, 1,300 miles away.

[@nick4506]

riverside raceway nolonger exists but longbeach does and its awesome. in the same weekend they run indycars, endurance cars, stadium trucks, classics and its also a round of formula drift.

[@pop123pop100]

That flag waving at 1:27 and 3:20 . Much much better than whatever Tim Apple did at the USGP

[@andreasgrothe9940]

Phoenix and Detroit, I’ll never forget you for this!

[@TyShots]

Live not to far from Road America and I’ve always dreamed of F1 having a race there, such a classic track and is being resurfaced currently

[@F1Fanatic76]

I was at the race in Austin last weekend, and it was incredible. There’s so much passion for F1 here in the States.

[@oand10]

there is far more passion in Texas than both Miami and Vegas combined. Texas is one of the true hearts of American motorsport, and the other two are obviously money bait scams to racing fans.

[@BOABModels]

Looks like a lot of those races in the '80s were rushed into and then meddled with.

[@staLkerhu]

To be honest Miami and Jeddah aren't much better...

[@anewberg]

It’s all about drive to survive. I’m from Austin and have gone to the races since we opened in 2012. Up until recently it hasn’t been popular outside of something cool to do one Sunday year (for most). Saturday qualifying would have maybe 40-50% attendance; now it’s a sellout crowd, and they are building more stands and opening more space. For quali!! My friends who don’t know cars, talk F1 now and follow the races. Drive to survive is everything.

[@JVCJ42]

As a Michigander, there is something very poignant about the Detroit GP being canceled because our roads are shit.

[@Malachi_Marx]

Yeah... No joke. For a birthday gift for my little sister who lived in the UP, I restored her old 1960s VW bug into a herbie replica. I was driving it up from vegas to drop it off for her, she lived in Crystal Falls at the time, and I made a detour and stopped in Detroit to visit some friends. Legit, on my way out, I found a pot hole that while it was "only" 5 inches deep, was large enough that that the Bug got STUCK. The front and rear bumpers were stuck on the lips of the hole and the tires didn't touch the ground underneath. Had to wait and hour and a half for a tow truck to get there are track just streamed around me like a rock in a river.

[@kathrinedevries4364]

As someone from Las Vegas, I can assure you that our state flag is the orange traffic cone 🤣It being a street race sure isn't encouraging, but at least it's in November!

[@Malachi_Marx]

@@kathrinedevries4364 Its the strip. You know... They place they always make nice for the tourists while the rest of us suffer through project neon....

[@lucianomorano3394]

A race a Monticello (the private countryclub) wouldve been amazing. Ive been on that track a few times and its incredable. although it would nee some changes to fit F1 regs. although there is a member that owns a 2000s f1 car and rents the track for himself

[@notkevin7662]

Michiganander here. Belle Isle GP is dead and the Indy cars will race downtown now.

[@danielarndt284]

Appreciate you acknowledging that Indy Car is the best open wheel series out there!

[@kevinking9752]

Josh really seems to have it out for New York sports. As a Yankees and Knicks fan, I'm just here trying to enjoy some racing history and dude won't stop nut tapping us at every opportunity lol

[@taylortnt1175]

Facts I wasn't expecting it at all low-key hurt my feelings 😭

[@jerameydelaney9976]

Even as a Canadian Cincinnati Reds fan, I thought the shot at the poor Yanks was a little low lol

[@bostons2826]

I enjoy it 😌

[@marklittle8805]

New Yorkers are just done booing Aaron Judge so ya, give em the abuse

[@alyxf2977]

I’ve lived 10 minutes away from the Monticello Motor Club in Upstate NY my entire life. My father actually poured the asphalt when it was redone in the late 2000’s. What an incredible experience it would have been to watch an F1 race with him there of all places.

[@happydaysnewname]

Josh I will love you forever for being brave enough to say that indycar might be the best open wheel series in the world lol. I'm a massive f1 fan, just went to the COTA race this last weekend, and i prefer f1 a bit for the spectacle of it but Indycar consistently has the best wheel to wheel racing in the world full stop.

[@dazeandconfusion]

I went to my first ever race this year at the Austin GP. I can't emphasise enough what a shit show the logistics were. Shuttle access (wether paid or not) was a nightmare and it took me and my friend 2 total hours to get from the hotel to our seats. It took even longer to get back to the hotel due to everyone leaving the venue at the same time. Our hotel was 10 miles away from the track.

[@ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Personally, I think the Stupor Bowl being held in the Darien Gap would greatly improve it.

[@Racecarlock]

I started watching F1 as a kid pretty much because I mixed it up with indycar. Don't lie, some of you did too. Sure, now you can point out all the little differences in aerodynamics and body shape and what not, but go back to any young age and they pretty much looked the same to you.

[@RRaquello]

As a kid, the first racing I ever followed was IndyCar. I never had them mixed up because I knew F1 were Europeans and IndyCar was American. I guess I figured that F1 was the European version of IndyCar, LOL. As a hockey fan, I knew there was the NHL here and there were European leagues and that the European leagues were like minor leagues. So Formula One was like the minor leagues for Indy. I also remember that, at least on TV, the F1 cars looked smaller and slower than the IndyCars, which would be understandable, since it was the minor leagues. That was my perception as a 10 year old.

[@patmanbnl]

While you joke about a race in Cleveland, the Burke Lakefront Airport circuit put on some great Indycar races in the 90s.

[@davidbondy2250]

Having been to the 2019 British Grand Prix and the 2022 United States Grand Prix, I think COTA is damn near perfect as a venue for the United States Grand Prix. The atmosphere of Silverstone is something I will never forget: it's a gathering of hundreds of thousands to spectate high-level racing. COTA's atmosphere in 2022 was, in my opinion, just as good as Silverstone's in 2019. It's a celebration of motorsports from hundreds of thousands of passionate Americans who have journeyed across this nation to witness great motor racing. I simply love it, and it should be the benchmark for future races in the United States if/when F1 decides to move on from it. Until then, F1 absolutely should do everything in their power to preserve and improve COTA where necessary (such as its bad parking lots and lack of shaded stands.) No gimmicky races, just give us good racing and a reason to watch, and we will show up.

[@Rakettivuori]

COTA is nice, only thing its missing (and I know I might be in the minority caring about this) is history. To me there are a few racing tracks in the world that should have an F1 race by default. Silverstone, Monza, Spa, Nurburgring, Monaco, Indianapolis. I wouldn't mind having COTA and Indy in the same calendar though

[@JoePCool14]

They need to figure out their logistics with getting people away from the circuit after the sessions are over. Sitting in the parking lot for almost 3 hours is outrageously bad.

[@oand10]

@@Rakettivuori COTA will make its history. It already is.

[@davidbondy2250]

@@JoePCool14 yeah, the traffic is outrageous

[@sleepysxb7710]

it's tragic how the Dallas grand prix fell through. it would be a beautiful venue. in theory it's like Melbourne or Canada but yeah Texas heat is rough :/ rest in pieces. i hold onto the hope that it could've been something

[@sealcuddl3r]

Agreed. A night race, a la Marina Bay, would have been dope. It's hard to fathom how the idea to hold a street circuit race during the afternoon in a city where July highs can get to over 42°C. I live in Dallas and have trouble understanding how anyone who has spent a summer outside here could have approved the date and time set for the 1984 race.

[@sleepysxb7710]

@@sealcuddl3r i live in Dallas too. i know I'm biased in wanting to not call it one of the worst races ever but fair park is beautiful and the track could've been really cool even just as a spectacle. it definitely could've been like a Singapore night race. we usually a dry heat but it doesn't stop and it barely goes down at night. they really didn't do their research to properly make it happen. no way anyone on the ground thought it was a good idea

[@Taima_the_lion]

glad f1 is becoming more popular here in the states however my big gripe is people only seeing the glamor of the sport hence why general admission tickets were $300 this year which hurts

[@AnthonySmith-nn4cr]

I live 20 minutes away from Pheonix Arizona and having a race here in the summer is absolutely asinine it can get up to 112. I dont understand why they would put that race in october or november becuase its a high of 74 degrees right now and would be absolutley perfect for a grand prix. But as an american DTS baby thanks for this kick ass video. learned a lot

[@chilledpenguins8381]

Instant shot at the Yankees gets an automatic thumbs up. Brilliant work. Don't even need to watch the rest of the video.

[@Speeder76]

Just one thing about Bernie's obsession with America: in late 1980, when he threatned to cut F1 in two and create a rebel seriesm in what it was called "the FOCA-FISA war", the FOCA calendar was filled with american races in Long Beach, Vegas and Detroit, I think, besides Mexico. But after the South African race, they reconcile and the rebel series fade out. It would be a nice issue on one of your next vídeos, Josh.

[@RRaquello]

Bernie's obsession with America was limited to milking money out of gullible race promoters. He didn't want any Americans actually in the sport, except as paying customers.

[@JacobCraigo]

13:47 Ah, Phoenix..... My home metropolis.... Where the air is hot, the sidewalks are hotter, and anything sports related is underdog territory. In fact, our only sports flexes are being host to 3 F1 races, being the 2001 MLB World Series champions, and being current host to the NASCAR season finales in the neighboring town Avondale.

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Great video. It has been great to learn about USA GP history. Keep up the good work.

[@ColeSlaw270]

As an American, I am still skeptical of our adoption of F1. We love our fads as much as our major sports. We created skateboarding, made a whole culture around it two separate times and then let it die. I'm afraid we will do the same with f1. I hope it is here to stay. Also watching you take the piss out of my country never gets old.

[@tomgreen876]

No you are right NASCAR and just driving left is so much more frilling, perhaps all you need to do is rename it for no reason at all like "soccer" you can call it zoomies and then rename cycling into f1 racing instead...skeptical, what a ridiculous comment.

[@thunderlighting2006]

As long as the F1 app stays ill be happy cuz being an American kid with no internet trying to watch F1 was impossible

[@TommyCubed]

Just because you dont participate in it or see is as often doesnt mean it doesn't exist.

[@romeoecho9947]

Sorry folks but he is right. The artificial enthusiasm created by Drive to Survive will eventually fade and leave behind the small percentage of true American racing fans. IndyCar and IMSA are both great racing products native to the US and struggle to generate much interest beyond a few better known events. The laughable yet still kind of entertaining made for TV NASCAR is a shadow of what it was at the turn of the century.

[@gandalf_thegrey]

@@tomgreen876 Jesus Christ, in not watching any NASCAR, nor am I american, but I thought the amazing size of F1 arrogance towards every other Motorsport has finally left 1 or 2 years ago. Also FYI NASCAR is dying a slow and painful death. The most popular Motorsport in the US at this point IS Grand Prix racing. At least know what you talk about.

[@hreeman]

The content quality (in terms of video editing/production) has gone way up in the recent past. And the writing and delivery were always top notch and continue to be so. Thanks Josh!!

[@Jrodsly]

I'm surprised this video didn't talk about USF1 and how it crashed and burned. That story is so fascinating and I'd love to see you cover it along with the rest of the new teams that tried to enter in 2010.

[@RRaquello]

USF1 was such an obvious snake oil deal from the beginning that there was no surprise that it never happened. I remember seeing Peter WIndsor almost weekly on Dave DeSpain's show, and I'll credit him for enthusiasm, but that whole project was never going anywhere from the beginning-just like the USGP in Jersey City (or Hoboken or wherever in New Jersey.)

[@GloomGaiGar]

Didn't he already?

[@kiraliemedina52]

Your last statement hits the future of F! on the head. "Inflated Prices" are gonna be the death of the sport. I can't afford these insane prices so I'll just watch on TV. And if things keep going that way, more and more will do the same until the races look like, like, ummm, see the former US tracks as reference!

[@SeamlessShelf35]

Been a quite a journey for F1 in America. Don't know how Las Vegas will do next year, but I'm hoping it won't be like 1981 & 1982.

[@derekconwaygd]

Ceasar’s Palace is a mid casino in terms of Las Vegas so idk why they’d think that hosting a Grand Prix would be there would be good

[@manueld.4757]

Have u seen the circuit?

[@RACECAR]

Having looked at the layout, its already a massive improvement. Hell, its more of a street circuit then most of the "Street Circuits" F1 has gone to lately. Gotta see it in the flesh but given what we saw with Caeser's Palace, it certainly can't be THAT bad.

[@PaarlNuus]

440 000 fans over race weekend is not a failure in any language or any country. Excellent race, excellent venue, Max won again and equaled Schumi's record of 13 wins in one year. Quite exciting racing, especially towards the end with Max and Hamilton slugging it out...Charles Leclerc also in the mix. Congrats COTA.

[@GloomGaiGar]

that's not the topic of the video

[@lukeskywalket2894]

My dad has been an F1 fan all his life, and the first Grand Prix he went to was in 1967 at Watkins Glen. He went to every race at Watkins Glen up until it stopped. He told me about a strange event that happened during the weekend in a swampy area close to the track. It was called The Pit, and basically you just had to try and drive your vehicle across this very soft bit of ground. It got more out of hand each year, until someone stole a Greyhound Coach Bus in 1980 and brought it to the Pit. I’m pretty sure that was one of the reasons they didn’t go to Watkins Glen anymore, on top of the other reasons mentioned in the video. For anyone looking to visit Watkins Glen today, make sure you check out the IMRRC (International Motor Racing Research Center). It’s kinda easy to miss, but there’s a ton of documentation and artifacts from all branches of Motorsport dating back almost a century.

[@Rand0mContnt]

F1: leaves track Indycar: it’s free real estate

[@NiederDrifts]

I think we just need more local tracks to get into racing in general. Not to mention for F1 currently, you have to wake up at 9am on a Sunday to watch it live which isn’t favorable. But I was just at cota and I gotta say it was absolutely PACKED! i went on Friday with $20 tickets and I think there were an estimated 100k people there just for a practice day! Hopes are looking up! We just need to get more Indy car and GTD/LMP racing out there too!

[@nicolesgaming8917]

F1... Phoenix... in June? There's a reason the Diamondbacks play at an indoor ballpark. And it ain't rain (the reason for the rolling roof at the Seattle Mariners' T-Mobile Park)....

[@x-90]

I find it funny that every time F1 leaves a track Indy car immediately takes the spot and puts on a show

[@AlexsmithGT]

It's like the track has a back up plans F1: *"screw you, your track sucks"* American track: *"Okay uuuuhhh bye!"* *Dialing phone sounds* Indycar: *"Yellloooo?"* American track: *"WANNA RACE"* *SUUUUURRRRREEEEEEEEE*

[@mets137781]

And/or NASCAR see Watkins Glen and Riverside

[@thunderlighting2006]

Being an American I love that F1 is becoming popular but at the same time I hate these celebrities/ millionaires faking their interests in the sport

[@tadroid3858]

I went to all of the September US Grand Prix at Indy. I stopped when they rescheduled it to Father's Day Weekend.

[@AdamRitenauer]

Thank you for the "Hastily made Cleveland tourism video" reference. As an F1 fan born in Cleveland, I feel seen.

[@JasonTrew2018]

I see you showed Boyd's Speedway, that happens to be my neck of the woods and Riverside had to become a damn shopping mall thanks to the NiMYB's that were going to surround it with enough complaints to shake a stick at

[@matismf]

They should hold an F1 race in San Francisco with Lombard Street being part of the course!

[@MattChaffe]

I genuinely appreciated the hastily made Cleveland tourism video, living about 40 minutes away. Will say, I'd rather be near Cleveland than Detroit, and that's saying a lot...

[@Amm17ar]

Whats weird is why has F1 worked so well in Canada and not the US? I think a big part of it was the lack of a proper dedicated track in a prominent city. Montreal invested in a prime location track, close to the city, purpose built for high level racing with all the necessary accessories. F1 in America constantly looked past one or more of those key factors when planning races in preference of location, location, location. I think theyre doing it again with Miami and Las Vegas. One thing weve learned is street races, though amazing locations, struggle to be great race tracks.....Which is the core reason they are in the city at all. Good racing could mean a good venue for F1 races. If the product is shitty then whats the point? You get people there with the appeal of a F1 race, you get celebrities who are itching and desperate to be on tv and in the spotlight, you get rich fans who are willing to pay up to do the same, you get actual F1 fans and you get some randoms who are just interested in the event. To grow the sport the product has to be good enough that people who come there want to come back because the event of a F1 race as well as the race itself make it worthwhile. That hasnt been the case imo.

[@RRaquello]

I think in the US they try too hard. In Canada, it seems to me they run it as a race and not as a gimmick. The one person I knew who attended the GP in Canada was a co-worker who happened to be in Montreal on race weekend on his honeymoon. He wasn't a race fan, but saw the GP advertised in the paper and asked his new wife if she wanted to go. She said, "Sure", and they went and he told me it was a good time. Nice and simple. No need for all the BS we get down here, treating a simple race weekend like it was the first moon landing.

[@Amm17ar]

@@RRaquello Yeah I live in Ottawa, 2 hours away from Montreal and I personally havent gone but I know a few people who have attended and its consistently great reviews of the entire weekend. They organize stuff in the city center with cars on display sometimes and they really supplement a great race with really good activities.

[@whynotnascar]

Coming from a NASCAR superfan, yk its bad when NASCAR beats you in the TV viewership haha

[@Hazel-the-Amazon]

I love all motor sports, but F1 has grown a lot in this country. Its pulling over a million views per race on espn, and to be able to pull that many viewers on a 6am on a sunday. That's pretty impressive.

[@whynotnascar]

@@Hazel-the-Amazon For sure. F1 growing in America makes me happy, and as someone trying to get into it... its encouraging. But, having watched NASCAR for more than 3/5 of my life, it takes a lot of self awareness to see how low we are on the racing totem pole 🤣

[@Dryfloorsign]

i mean,wasnt nascar popular back then, like really popular?

[@alecerdmann8505]

@@Dryfloorsign Yes, and in the '80s-mid '90s IndyCar was even more popular than NASCAR

[@staLkerhu]

Maybe in the USA only? I doubt this is true anywhere else dude...

[@johnvandeventer8668]

I’m happy to see the sport grow in America

[@tall_toby8576]

Id be a lot happier if it didn't come with the OTT American gimmicks.

[@Slowburn_-lk4oh]

You shouldn’t be happy about it be aware of letting them into European sports just look at what’s happening with football with American owned teams and the super league bs they keep trying to pull

[@jacobmorris19]

@@Slowburn_-lk4oh Super league was Florentino Perez’s idea, only 3 of the teams had American owners. It was purely for money

[@Slowburn_-lk4oh]

@@jacobmorris19 wrong Chelsea at the time although owned by a Russian the chairman was a yank spurs isn’t owned by Daniel levy their owner Joe Lewis is basically American and to say it was just Perez is just wrong fsg, the glazers and Stan kreonke were the main reason why the English clubs got on board and there would be no super league without the English teams

[@ILikeRice88924]

@The LIM Report IndyCar has to do something and I don’t know what. I’m not even gonna say what nascar needs to do because that would take all day

[@michaelkolman8313]

It kinda sucks being an American F1 fan, we have three races here but I’ll likely never be able to afford to go to one

[@timhefty504]

I see a lot of comments suggesting Road America. It would be awesome to have a grand prix at my home track, but in addition to the facilities not being up to F1 code its very rural and the hotel situation would be dire. All the hotels from Elkhart Lake and Plymouth to Milwaukee, Green Bay and Madison would be swamped. You'd probably have fans staying as far away as Chicago. The area rental car businesses would make serious dough but would also get swamped (and say all you want about public transport but high speed rail would never pass through Elkhart Lake). Not enough nearby bars or restaurants for a crowd that big.

[@kidscode3702]

Can you please do one of these on the old V8 Supercars that used to rip round the tracks in New Zealand? The history of huge crashes in the streets of Wellington and hairpins at Pukekohe

[@spiritraps9596]

I'd think new York and Detroit could make great places for a race considering they aren't too hot of places. Maybe im wrong seeing as how next year's 3 US races are in hot areas (Miami, Vegas, and Austin) Miami is stupid humid but I see the track holding up, I've always been a fan of the Austin TX track, Vegas I think will be chaos but I like the idea as far as marketing goes

[@wolfgamingnetwork3542]

ill say this about miami and vegas theres purpose built race tracks in miami andnd vegas that have roadcourses and they be perfect for f1

[@Zestfest-b5t]

well it’s working now I’m an American fan and started in 2021 and now I stay up till 1 am for half the races

[@scottmeredith3359]

Being at COTA in person to see Lewis and Max do battle in 2021 will forever be a highlight of my F1 love story

[@ernestobababafatcatbannana5803]

As someone who lives and races in Phoenix, it is miserable racing anytime that isn’t considered deep winter everywhere else

[@goodoldozzy5731]

Hey josh. Can you do a video looking back at some of the strangest places the formula 1 has been held. They once held the Australian Grand Prix in port Wakefield, south Australia. It would be good to here the history of this and some of the other stranger races

[@fqeagles21]

Jeddah during an Airstrike hahaha

[@pr0t0typ38]

The thing about the ticket price inflation hits too close to home, tried to get a ticket for this year's miami gp, signed up for presale... tickets sold out before the presale even began (wtf?) signed up again for 2023, managed to enter the presale.... all they had was 3 day grandstand tickets costing around $3000 iirc, so yeah I expected F1 to be expensive... but hell not THAT expensive

[@mtobrien5205]

Just when I think I couldn’t like your videos any more than I do, you create one bashing both the Cowboys and the Yankees. Bravo sir. We’ll done.

[@BilTheGalacticHero]

I remember the first Detroit Grand Prix. We lived the the suburbs and went downtown to walk around. Saw Mario and not much else. I still have my hat though...

[@61936]

As a metro Detroit resident the road being bumpy is a understatement

[@glenmallory9982]

Spent some time last month at Watkins Glen shopping at the local outlet store and ate at the local Italian restaurant. That small town is very proud of its racing heritage. There are markers all over. Posters in the stores. But even the college kids working at Ben and Jerry’s tell me that’s a NASCAR town now. That’s the big event. The changes required to the town and the track to host a modern F1 race they fear would change the town beyond its quaint 1970s character. That was eye opening to me.

[@glenmallory9982]

They also said the wine industry was the big draw these days.

[@morganmurphy38]

F1 needs to race at Kokomo or Eldora or someplace in Pennsylvania. PA Posse vs F1

[@jackdavis1664]

Such high quality content Josh, so much research, time and insight. Keep it up 👌

[@davesparks380]

Watkins Glen and Road America would be utterly destroyed by the facilities and safety upgrades needed by F1. If you've ever been to either, you'd instantly realize that F1 should never ever go near them ever again. By that, I mean the experience of the tracks themselves. Been to F1 at Indy and Austin and they were absolutely fantastic (barring the tire fiasco). But the experience is nothing like Indycar at WG or RA. It's the difference between seeing a band play at an arena where all you can see is the big screen and tiny dots versus having the same band set up and play at a local pub or festival. Intimate vs Extravagant. Two different worlds.

[@302racing3]

FIA: *Gives Americans terrible tracks that physically destroy all but 6 cars that race there* Americans: *Don’t watch* FIA: *Why don’t Americans care about us*

[@justinburley8659]

What’s funny is that THEY’RE DOING IT AGAIN!!! Just give us racing on purpose built tracks!

[@aaronmachado13]

I didn’t mind miami cause I viewed it as more of a Caribbean GP as Miami has such a heavy influence of countries such as Cuba, Jamaica, Grenada ( ironically a country that Lewis has close ties to) and Trinidad and all those countries unfortunately don’t have the infrastructure to host a GP. But one of the biggest reasons for f1 failure is Indy in the 2000’s

[@CessBee123]

But it isn't a Caribbean gp. Its just another trashy US gp

[@rabbi4skin666]

Do you think Miami is anywhere close to the Caribbean in terms of culture you’re 100% wrong. Sure they might be some influences, but it’s still distinctly American

[@aldoporras735]

pissed off New Jersey didnt have a race

[@lesflynn4455]

Great video mate. I've only very recently discovered and subscribed to your channel, soon after becoming interested in F1 again, NOT due to the Netflix series. Something about the frequency of rule changes regarding the cars piqued my interest, then I fell down a rabbit hole. You do good shit.

[@carlaspinall7418]

There is a f1 gp this year at Cesar palace 🏎️

[@matthewseljan2325]

Im so glad you included my hometown of Cleveland. We should host a race lol.

[@timmyZert]

As you've pointed out on the video, it is ridiculous one of the reasons F1 failed in the US previously is because of the tracks when they have a lot of great circuits - Road America, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, and many more. And watching this video I saw somewhat of a parallel now to when it failed last time. It might just be a pipe dream but I hope we could get an F1 race on one of those great historic circuits in the future...

[@piersdudderidge]

Miami is literally a car park. A glorified car park. Nothing has changed.

[@ajthevillageidiot]

Oh yeah, it's all coming together.

[@crystalracing4794]

Sebring, St Petersberg, Daytona Road course... but they choose a street choice with a fake harbour. I feel bad for you yanks

[@thefirely1439]

@@crystalracing4794 well cota isn't bad and we are also getting Las Vegas which will be a legit street circuit with the sunset strip as the main straight.

[@jacobmassey3897]

​@@thefirely1439that'll be shite 🤣

[@rubblerage1101]

@@thefirely1439 The track map is literally just a square

[@Nitro55555]

Ironically I got an “Let’s do London” ad for this video.

[@rensvanderploeg1945]

Always happy when a video of Josh is promoted in my feed.😂

[@lancepribble7777]

Nice job on getting featured by DIGG. Great videos

[@kxngmuzikig2417]

I believe F1 not being held at official tracks is part of the reason. they choose gimmicky street circuits over great tracks that would be amazing to watch f1 cars drive. Daytona road course, Laguna Seca, Indy 500, Willow Springs are few of the great tracks we have but idk why theyre not chosen for races

[@davideiceman]

Laguna Seca would have been great in the past, but it's too narrow for current F1 cars. They should build another brand new circuit as they did in Austin.

[@Ultrase7en767]

Before hand, I'd argue that the issue was NASCAR was just hugely popular amongst race fans

[@brendancarter3453]

If they would quit racing in our parking lots and actually look into a few of the great tracks we have other than cota, I think they’ll find that several of them could easily be brought up to f1 safety standards and are more than capable of handling large crowd sizes.

[@tempest20000]

0:26 Yay Milwaukee!!

[@petermary70]

You should do more videos dude, these are epic

[@gordonritchie9341]

He has Mate, he’s done over 140 of them