Carey: US market wide enough for two races
- Published on 20 Dec 2019 14:51
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Formula 1 Chief Executive Officer Chase Carey believes the market for F1 in the United States is wide enough for more than one race.
Talks are currently ongoing between F1 and the city of Miami, as Liberty Media, the commercial rights holders of F1, aim to bring a world championship round to the Florida city.
MORE: F1 aiming to 'address community concerns' in Miami
The original plans were to have a race in Miami for the 2019 season, however the proposals were hit with setbacks due to local unrest.
Carey admits that Liberty Media still has work to do in Miami in order to close in on a deal that will see a second US race added to the calendar.
"We still have some issues to resolve in Miami," Carey told CNN. "They're, probably at this point, predominantly political ones and there have been some local meetings and activity in the last month.
"I think right now the breadth of support and the depth of support is encouraging. It's clearly an addition to Austin.
"So in our goal, we think the US is a big enough market and a broad enough market and growing the US, I think having two races will actually make both stronger."
Carey also responded to claims that F1 is not diverse enough, stating that it is working to improve the presence of women in the sport.
"We want to increase the diversity. We've been very public about it. We've said it's one of our core objectives. Over the next few years, we've identified the environmental issues as one we're going to tackle and diversity as one we're going to tackle.
"We're working hard, particularly the female diversity issue, but really on all levels of diversity. First, how important are the drivers?
"They're critical. Sports are based on heroes and our biggest heroes are the drivers and Lewis has really been in many case, you know, an incredible leader in those initiatives."
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Replies (4)
Login to replyf1dave
Posts: 782
"Female diversity and environmental issues and a world championship round in the Florida city are some of our core objectives." Non of these have me exited for the future of F1.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
It's not exciting if you take a pretty cynical view. Female diversity would be fantastic, it really would. So long as it's not medriocre driver like Tatiana at Sauber, who got the reserve role as a marketing stunt. Environmental issues need to be a consideration in F1. I'm ok with changes as long as they enhance the racing itself. I understand there be tradeoffs like the sound. A race in Florida... This is where I have the strongest opinion. I'm on the record here as saying "Fuck Miami", if they don't want the race, fuck them. Take F1 elsewhere. Plenty of way better tracks and venues available. But the last thing we need is another grand Prix organizer bitching every year about not renewing the contract or whatever
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Agree completely, AJ. I too would like to see more diversity (provided they are competitive, hence why I kinda doubt the W-series will do what it's supposed to), and think that environmental consideration could, in theory, be very good for the sport. As for Miami: IMO they should go anywhere else. Or maybe dust of one of those amazing tracks what the U.S actually have.
Sadtomato
Posts: 48
F1 has been popular because it has been seen as the pinnacle of achievement through technical merit and skill alone. Carey and co are proposing some sort of socially engineered utopian constuct where you have rules and quotas for teams and organisations to fulfill in order to be allowed to participate. This of course presupposes that the core fanbase share your views and will not dwindle as a result along with your income stream - maintaning and increasing the latter being one of your "core objectives" that you did not see fit to mention!