Column: Formula 1 Needed Another American Race — Not Another Middle East Stop

Formula 1 is booming in the United States.

The Netflix effect changed everything.

The Miami Grand Prix became a celebrity spectacle. Austin’s Circuit of the Americas remains one of the most respected venues on the calendar. Las Vegas turned the Strip into a global racing stage.

America is no longer a market Formula 1 is trying to break into.

It’s a market Formula 1 has already won.

So why does the sport continue looking everywhere else for expansion?

The answer, at least from a fan perspective, is frustrating.

Formula 1 didn’t need another race in the Middle East.

It needed another race in America.

The modern F1 calendar has become increasingly packed with events in countries that offer significant financial backing. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi have all become important stops, providing massive investments and state-of-the-art facilities.

Those events have their place.

Formula 1 is a global championship.

But at some point, growth has to be about more than adding another destination with a fancy facility and a large checkbook.

It has to be about where the fans are.

And right now, the fans are in the United States.

The demand is obvious.

American audiences have embraced Formula 1 like never before. Attendance numbers continue to grow. Broadcast numbers have improved. Young fans are entering the sport through drivers, teams and storylines they connect with.

The United States has proven it deserves more than three races.

Imagine what another American Grand Prix could look like.

A race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the most famous racing venue in the world.

A return to California at a venue like Laguna Seca.

A race in the Southeast, where NASCAR and motorsports culture have thrived for generations.

A second American event wouldn’t just add another date on the calendar.

It would strengthen Formula 1’s long-term future in its most important emerging market.

That is the key difference.

A race in another country may bring short-term financial benefits.

A race in America builds a fanbase.

Formula 1 already has proof that American events work. Austin delivers passionate crowds. Miami created a festival atmosphere. Las Vegas became one of the most recognizable sporting spectacles on the planet.

The appetite is there.

The question is whether Formula 1 wants to continue feeding it.

The sport has always been about finding the perfect balance between tradition, competition and expansion. Adding new countries matters. Growing globally matters.

But growth should not come at the expense of ignoring the places where the sport is thriving.

The United States isn’t asking Formula 1 to choose America over the rest of the world.

It’s asking Formula 1 to recognize what is already happening.

America has become an F1 country.

Now it’s time for the calendar to reflect that.

Another Middle East race might make sense on a financial spreadsheet.

Another American race would make sense for the future.