Pursuits Weekly: Formula One Miami Was Mostly a Hit. Now What?
After decades of trying, it seems we’ve hit an inflection point for F1 racing in the US.
Belgian-Dutch driver Max Verstappen (left) of Red Bull Racing celebrates after winning the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami International Autodrome on May 8.
Photographer: Anadolu Agency/AnadoluHi! It’s Hannah Elliott, your trusty automotive reporter and sports fan—and I have been thinking a lot lately about one once-niche sport that has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry.
By now you’ve heard of it. Formed in the 1950s as a way for car manufacturers to test engineering, Formula One counts 445 million fans worldwide and bona fide superstars like Lewis Hamilton, who took in an estimated $62 million last year thanks to partnerships with brands such as IWC, Puma, and Monster Energy. F1’s most valuable team, Ferrari, is worth an estimated $1.35 billion.