'F1 takes the lead': America's new favorite motorsport?

18:52, 13 Jul

Updated: 19:25, 13 Jul

byTobia Elia

According to Jak Crawford, currently fighting for the F2 title with the DAMS team, Formula 1 has become the top motorsport in the United States—at least in his personal ranking.

Once not considered one of the most coveted stops on the calendar, the United States has seen a massive Formula 1 boom since Liberty Media took over in 2017.

Miami and, later, the glamorous Las Vegas GP were added to the schedule alongside the already-established race in Austin.

The U.S. market has undeniably become one of the most important for the company led by the American media giant, which—alongside Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali—seems to be pushing harder than ever on the accelerator across the Atlantic.

F1 has risen massively in U.S

But is Formula 1 considered one of the top motorsports—if not the top—by Americans? According to Jak Crawford, a U.S. driver currently part of the Aston Martin junior program and formerly of Red Bull’s, the answer is yes.

“The biggest motorsport in America? I would put Formula 1 at the top,'' the DAMS driver, who is currently fighting for the F2 title against Richard Verschoor, said in an interview with TalkSPORT.

“I may be a little bit biased. I don’t know the numbers or anything and I don’t really look at it too much but for me obviously the open wheel cars are top.”

According to Crawford, Formula 1 has seen a massive surge in popularity in the Stars and Stripes nation over the years. “F1 has huge growth. I’ve had all of my friends tell me about the F1 movie."

“I’m sure it’s growing bigger and bigger and I don’t know if it’s bigger than IndyCar but I would rank it above IndyCar.”