Las Vegas GP proud of ratings, but F1 remains relatively small in US

Despite the late start time, the Las Vegas Grand Prix attracted a relatively high number of viewers in the United States. Still, the sport remains relatively small in North America, but it is clear that F1 is gaining popularity.

The Las Vegas GP kicked off at 22:00 local time. Given the different time zones, that meant some Americans had to stay up late into the night to watch the event live on TV. On average, according to ESPN, the broadcast attracted 1.3 million viewers, the fourth largest audience F1 has drawn in the US.

The race in the gambling city, which was won by Max Verstappen, was the best-watched F1 race since the GP of Canada, where an average of 1.76 million Americans tuned in. The Monaco and Miami Grands Prix were even better watched, with averages of 1.79 and 1.96 million viewers.

These may seem low in numbers in a country of 332 million people, but it is clear that F1 is gaining popularity in the country. By comparison, NASCAR remains by far the most popular racing class in the country. Still, with an average viewership of 2.86 million in 2023, F1 is not doing too badly compared to this category.