Miami Grand Prix will be "painful" for Circuit of the Americas sales initially

The potential addition of the Miami Grand Prix to the Formula One calendar could hurt the crowds coming to the other current venue of a United States Grand Prix, the Circuit of the Americas, with COTA's CEO saying the first year could be "painful".

While official confirmation awaits, it does look like the addition of the Miami Grand Prix is imminent, with new owners Liberty Media still pushing hard to expand their audience in the United States market.

The Circuit of the Americas has been the home of the United States Grand Prix since 2012, with the purpose-built F1 track proving to be a success among both the fans as well as the grid, with drivers generally enjoying driving there.

Should a second Grand Prix be added in the USA in Miami, it will have an impact at COTA and the attendace rates, according to the track's CEO Bobby Epstein, although he does think things should go back to normal after the inaugural race in Miami.

“The first year will be painful [for COTA],” he told RACER.

He continued talking about how difficult it is for any venue to build something that will last, that will prove sustainable on the long-term.

"It is very difficult to get a race off the ground, and it’s even harder to have longevity. One thing that everyone’s learned in this sport is you can lose massive amounts of money. The first year will always be gangbusters, it’s what happens in the third, fourth and fifth year and whether someone’s going to have the staying power."

With the eighth Grand Prix held at COTA in three weeks' time, the circuit based in Texas has proven to be sustainable, with the F1's Netflix series Drive to Survive proving a key factor in drawing bigger crowds this year to years past.