Formula 1 also going to Chicago? Here's what's going on!

With social media these days, nothing stays secret at all. So when Formula One Licensing BV, which is responsible for registering trademarks and logos, officially records the trade names relating to a Chicago Grand Prix, news will surface somewhere in no time. But what is really going on with Chicago and F1?

With the Miami Grand Prix, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the US Grand Prix, Formula 1 is already well-represented in the United States. While it is true that America is a growth market for Formula 1, the sport also realises that the F1 calendar is now packed. So, if a new venue is added, another one will almost certainly have to be cut. The Miami GP is fixed in the US until 2031, and Las Vegas and Austin until 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Domenicali thinks three US GPs is the right number

Expect Las Vegas to remain on the calendar after 2025, while the Circuit of the Americas - where the US Grand Prix is held - is a favourite for drivers and F1. A farewell to COTA cannot be imagined. Stefano Domenicali has previously said that three races in the US is the right number "for the coming years. " The Italian didn't entirely rule out another Grand Prix.

Would that pave the way for the Chicago Grand Prix? GPblog investigated and can reveal that Formula One Management (FOM) has no plans to host a Grand Prix in Chicago. So why have all sorts of variations on the Chicago GP been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office?

FOM does not want to pay loads of money

FOM often does this when there is suspicion at its London headquarters that outside parties are trying to get away with the brand names. As a precaution, FOM registers the names to prevent - if a Grand Prix is ever held in Chicago - a lot of money being paid to a smart person who would have registered the name for a few dollars.

See, for example, the New York Grand Prix earlier. There isn't one or any plans, but Formula 1 registered the brand name at some point. The exact same applies to Chicago now.