Liberty Media does not intend to turn its back on the European foundations of F1

Since Liberty Media acquired the commercial rights of F1, the new owners have never hidden their desire to develop the sport in the United States as well as in Asia.

This has been confirmed in recent days with the revelation of serious discussions to organize a race in Miami starting next year. The arrival of F1 is currently pending the vote of local authorities, which will take place next week.

In an interview with Autosport, Chase Carey does not mention the negotiations that seem to exist between the discipline and the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, for a potential additional race in Southeast Asia (with the Malaysian Grand Prix no longer on the calendar).

The American assures that Liberty Media’s desire to expand Formula 1 into the United States and Asia was never hidden upon its arrival: « We have been very clear from the moment we arrived about our objectives and ambitions to develop the sport in the United States and also in Asia. »

He then adds that the current race taking place in Austin, Texas, brings full satisfaction, but that it does not prevent the desire to organize an additional race on Uncle Sam’s soil: “We are very proud of the race we have in Texas, but we have discussed cities that could be potential destinations, and I suppose the three we have most often wished for were New York, Miami, and Las Vegas. So it aligns with what we have talked about and what we have announced.”

Inevitably, this raises questions about the future of certain European Grand Prix events whose future is not guaranteed. Let’s discuss the three most concerning cases. Firstly, the German Grand Prix is still uncertain about its future after this year’s race. The same goes for the Belgian Grand Prix, which must still ensure its continuity beyond this season. But the most symbolic situation concerns the most historic of the Grand Prix events, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Currently, the race has only two years left on its contract, and the directors of the British Automobile Club do not wish to extend with F1 for now, due to insufficient profitability.

But the F1 CEO wants to reassure European fans of the sport by assuring them that the historical base remains essential for him: « To be clear, it is not at the expense of the sport in Europe, which is its foundation, its home; this sport will always be built, as far as I’m concerned, on its foundations. »

According to him, this is not incompatible with the increased opening towards other destinations: « It is an important sport in Europe, but we believe there are opportunities to develop it in countries like China and the United States, the two largest media economies in the world. We recently announced initiatives in China while we were in Shanghai, and we have taken steps to achieve this. We are also looking to do so in the United States. »

To conclude, Carey talks about the potential Miami race that could take place in 2019, while stating that several other cities have been contacted to ensure having the best opportunity to organize a second round across the Atlantic: « There are obviously steps to take, we have engaged with other cities in the United States, but we think Miami would be a wonderful city to host a race. We are working through the process to determine if it is something we can set up with the city in a way that works for both parties. »