Formula One has a growing fan base in America, and new owners Liberty Media have taken note of the trend. Talks of adding a second or even third race have floated around since Chase Carey took over for ex-F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, but according to the new chief, he's not in a big hurry. Carey looks to execute a five-year plan for F1's future in America, one that will bring the series to the country's biggest travel destinations like New York City.
The current home of the USA Grand Prix is in Austin, Texas, at Circuit of The Americas. It's been held there for six years with turnout growing marginally each year, showing good signs of what's to come if more races do sprout up on our soil.
In an interview with Germany's Auto Bild, Carey claimed that he wants to think in long-term rather than the right-now approach of his predecessor.
"I don't want to criticize Bernie, because he did many things very well," Carey said. "But I think he went too much for short-term deals. So if you want to go to New York, it takes time and good planning."
Carey also pointed out that you have to draw the crowd into a locale that's worthwhile, one that will keep them entertained beyond the event.
"You have to capture people's imagination," he explained. "You don't do that with Phoenix, but in New York or Miami. We can already see the first signs, as since we have increased our commitment to social media, we are already seeing more feedback from the U.S. There is a bigger fan base there than we thought."
This is all part of Liberty's expanding strategy to cultivate a steady audience in the U.S. to match that of European countries. If, and when, the series decides to institute another American event, it will only be where and when Carey sees fit.