F1 Gaining Popularity In The US, Which F1 US Races Have The Highest Attendance In North America?

While there are many competing motorsports in the country, Formula One leads the way in the United States. The nation is an important part of the F1 circuit, and more than one major Grand Prix takes place in this part of the world.

The US is vital to both Liberty Media and the FIA due to the growing interest in the sport. Whenever a race is held here, huge attendances are recorded, but which events are the most popular?

Three for the US

The 2023 F1 season sees three races taking place in the United States. The first of these was the Miami Grand Prix which was held on May 7th at the International Autodrome at Miami Gardens, Florida.

Later in the season, formula one returns with the United States Grand Prix. The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, is the venue for a race that takes place on October 22nd.

And for the first time in 41 years, the F1 will be heading to Las Vegas in November and will see the circuit include some of the famous Las Vegas trip, a Grand Prix not to be missed!

All three are important events on the calendar, and will be well attended.

Support comes from external sources too. Sportsbook promos in Louisiana blow up during the F1 race in Austin, and that backing from the betting industry has attracted a whole new audience. In short, formula one has never been more successful here, but which of those two races draws the bigger crowd?

The Popularity Stakes

In the battle of US F1 races, the Austin event takes the checkered flag. In fact, the United States Grand Prix broke the attendance record for a three-day formula one event back in 2021.

No fewer than 400,000 spectators witnessed the action on the track as the Circuit of the Americas set a new benchmark. A year later, the bar was set even higher as the figure climbed to 440,000.

In 2022, the Miami Grand Prix welcomed 242,955 spectators through its gates. In 2023, a figure of 270,000 was announced. Those are healthy numbers when compared to many other races in the F1 season, but they are considerably lower than the Austin race.

Across The Border

Recent global events have led to major rescheduling of the Formula One calendar. As a result, no fewer than four Grand Prix are taking place in North America. On June 18, the Canadian Grand Prix was hosted by Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Looking ahead to October 29, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is the destination for the Mexico Grand Prix.

In terms of attendance figures, how do those two Grand races compare to their US counterparts? The stats show that both racetracks returned healthy attendance numbers in 2022. The Mexican Grand Prix fared better with a recorded crowd of 395,902. Up in Canada, the Montreal location also broke the 300,000 barrier, extending to 338,000.

While not quite matching the record-breaking numbers of the United States Grand Prix, those are high figures in comparison with the majority of Grand Prix in the F1 season.

Global Comparisons

Across the F1 world, there are few race locations that can match the United States Grand Prix. Melbourne in Australia is one exception and, earlier in 2023, the Albert Park circuit broke the record for a four-day event with some 444,631 fans in attendance.

Coming back to 2022, some of the attendance numbers declared by European and other circuits help to put the United States GP into further perspective. At the very bottom of the list, the Bahrain Grand Prix saw 98,000 visitors in attendance in 2022.

Moving upwards, Abu Dhabi is next at 160,000, followed by France and Japan who each welcomed 200,000 spectators last year. The numbers increase from that point, but no destination has yet been able to match the popularity of the United States Grand Prix.

Reaching New Levels

In 2021, the US Grand Prix at Austin set new records for a three-day race. 400,000 spectators walked through the gates, before that figure increased to 440,000 a year later. In 2023, there is a demand for the event, and it will be fascinating to see if the numbers can climb even higher.

If the Austin circuit has the capacity to accommodate them, it’s almost certain that more fans will come and that record will extend even further.

The stats recorded by the Circuit of the Americas are undoubtedly impressive, but each venue in North America has enjoyed strong attendance levels when compared with the rest of the F1 world.

All of this shows that Formula One is gaining popularity in the US and in north America as a whole. With NASCAR and IndyCar amongst others, there is far more competition than in other countries, but F1 clearly remains the pinnacle of motorsport. All that’s left is to sit back and see how far those attendance figures can grow.