Formula 1, or F1, has not always been big business in the US. For years, NASCAR was regarded as the king of motorsports, with events like the Indy 500 captivating petrol heads across the nation. Formula 1 was somehow regarded as a more European thing. Ironically, those kinds of connotations have now made it a firm fans’ – and celebrity – favorite.
It should be noted at this point that Austin, Texas also plays a major part in the newfound love affair that the US has with F1. The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) hosts the United States Grand Prix and is where many US fans first caught their first glimpse of the sport and went on to place an F1 bet.
A lot has changed since F1 welcomed Austin into their prestigious list of host cities and now this multi-billion dollar sport is taking over the US, as well as the rest of the world. But how did Austin start attracting celebrities wanting to get close to the F1 action?
F1 in the US
The Indianapolis 500 of 1950 was the first Grand Prix to be staged in the US and there have been other races intermittently over the 75 years. But it was when the United States Grand Prix was added to the schedule in 2012 that the sport began to grow a fan base, thanks to Austin’s involvement.
A Grand Prix has been held at COTA every year since, apart from the 2020 COVID-affected season, and it is fair to say that the glamor attracted to Austin has helped F1 become a household name across the States. Hollywood actors and tech bosses mingle on the track over the three-day event and signal to the rest of the nation that this is the sport to watch.
Drive to Survive
Formula 1 traditionally had a tough time overcoming the popularity of NASCAR to make any inroads into the American public’s consciousness. Grand Prix races in Austin began something but it was Netflix’s Drive to Survive documentary series that really saw the US fall for F1.
The drama of F1 was perfectly captured by the TV cameras and American viewers soon became fans. Formula 1 had been bought by US company, Liberty Media, two years previously and it spent a lot of money making sure that there was going to be a captive audience. Being able to attract top celebrities was always going to be a winning move and the Austin Grand Prix was a perfect place to showcase the drivers from Drive to Survive.
New Fan Demographic
To prove just how popular Drive to Survive was – and is – the ratings showed that the average ESPN audience for F1 in 2018 was 554,000. By 2021, that figure had leapt to 1.2 million. Almost 2.5 million tuned in for the Miami Grand Prix in 2022 as fans started to realize how exciting F1 was – something Austin had shown for years.
These new F1 converts come from across the spectrum too. Just like Taylor Swift appearing at NFL games boosted ratings for football last season, the fact that Hollywood’s finest were regularly seen on the track at Austin has helped grow the female F1 audience beyond all expectations.
Celebrities in Austin
So, what caliber of celebrities can be found mingling on the track at the Circuit of the Americas? Much was made of the glut of famous people who came out for the first Grand Prix in Las Vegas last year and the Miami race at the beginning of the season. But Austin was ahead of the field in that respect.
Part of the attraction for these celebrities is that the event takes place over three days, allowing for maximum exposure in what is considered a glamorous setting. NASCAR just doesn’t have the same caché as an F1 race. For example, Prince Harry, Drew Barrymore, Elon Musk, and Adam Driver were all spotted schmoozing with the F1 drivers ahead of the 2023 United States Grand Prix.
See all the celebs that were spotted at the USGP in 2023 here.
Where Austin Leads, Miami and Vegas Follows
As mentioned, the success of the Grand Prix in Austin has prompted Formula 1 to introduce two further American races onto the calendar. Miami and Las Vegas are now also part of one of the biggest ongoing social events of the year. It could be argued that if it weren’t for Austin, F1 would not be anywhere as popular in the US.
Miami and Las Vegas may be enjoying their time in the F1 spotlight now – and giving those celebrities another chance to mix with the drivers and money on the circuit. But it is the United States Grand Prix in Austin that has the potential to be one of the most crucial in the calendar.
With 24 races in a season, the Austin Grand Prix comes in as the 19th. Although Max Verstappen has been so dominant in the last few years that he has already had the championship sewn up by then, it is this time of the season when the drivers might make a move in a more competitive season. Miami is too early to make much difference and by the time the show gets to Vegas, it could all be over.
That is why the fans and celebrities love Austin. The current contract has COTA hosting F1 until 2026. But with such huge interest in the event in the US – and especially in Austin – there are likely to be celebrities converging on Texas for years to come.
