Formula 1 has undeniably conquered glamour in the United States. It now boasts three Grands Prix, a rapidly growing younger audience, a strong presence in popular culture, and a level of mainstream visibility that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. But according to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, all of that may still be little more than surface-level success. The real battle—the one that will determine Formula 1’s long-term future in America—is being fought in front of television screens and streaming platforms, where audience numbers are still not growing at the same speed as the brand itself.
Cultural growth is not enough: Formula 1 needs real numbers
Speaking at the Autosport Business Exchange in Miami, Zak Brown openly addressed what remains the central paradox of Formula 1’s American expansion: the championship is everywhere in terms of visibility, but still not sufficiently embedded in American households.
The Drive to Survive effect, Apple’s upcoming Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt, explosive social media growth, and the addition of three Grands Prix in the United States have all helped fuel interest in the championship. Yet, despite that momentum, Formula 1 remains a long way from competing with America’s established sporting giants.
“I think it will depend on the television ratings,” Brown said, making it clear that long-term growth cannot simply be built by adding more races to the calendar.
Three Grands Prix in the United States already represent a major success story, and Zak Brown acknowledged that four or even five races could theoretically be possible. However, that expansion would come at a cost, potentially limiting Formula 1’s ability to grow in emerging markets like South Africa or South Korea. But for Zak Brown, the central issue lies elsewhere. Television audiences remain “relatively low” when compared with major American sports.
The NFL, for example, averaged 18.7 million viewers per game in 2025. Formula 1, in that same year, achieved its all-time record audience in the United States—an average of 1.3 million viewers. That gap is enormous, and it cannot be closed simply through spectacle or celebrity appeal. It requires consistency, habit, and long-term fan behaviour.
The transition from ESPN to Apple TV represents the first genuinely significant attempt to accelerate that process. Apple now broadcasts all 24 Grands Prix live, backed by a digital ecosystem clearly designed to appeal to younger audiences.
The demographic data is encouraging: 47% of new American Formula 1 fans are between 18 and 24 years old, while more than half are women—strong indicators that the sport is reaching audiences traditional motorsport often struggled to attract. Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue said viewership had “increased significantly” during the first three races of the season, not only for Sunday’s Grand Prix itself, but across the entire race weekend. That is the signal Formula 1 is looking for: evidence that the championship can become a weekly habit, not merely an occasional entertainment event.
Domenicali looks ahead: “We are only at the beginning”
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali sees the United States as a long-term strategic project rather than a short-term commercial boom.
“We will remain there,” Stefano Domenicali said.
“We know that the most popular sports in the United States are still far ahead of us, but we are competitors. We do not step back when it comes to being ambitious.”
The strategy is increasingly clear: Formula 1 is not trying to directly replicate the NFL model overnight. Instead, it wants to build a distinctly American identity for Formula 1—one that goes beyond glamorous race weekends and enters the deeper culture of sports fandom. The goal is to move from curiosity to loyalty, from novelty to ritual, from occasional attention to long-term engagement. Formula 1 has already won the image battle in America. Now it must win the battle for sustained presence.
For Zak Brown, the challenge is not adding another Grand Prix or creating another major entertainment spectacle. The challenge is making Americans switch on the television—or open the app—and stay there. Formula 1 has found the stage in the United States. Now it needs to secure the audience.
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