TThe astonishing nature of the transformation in the fortunes of Formula One in the United States could not be better illustrated than by the incongruous sight of Mickey Mouse and a group of his Disney pals leading a band of adoring fans on a stroll down the pit lane at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Formula 1, having successfully staged races in Sin City and the USA, now boasts three sold-out races, a testament to the growing prosperity of the sport. Despite the surreality of meeting Donald Duck and Goofy outside the garages, the fact that Disney chose Formula 1 as a partner is testament to the sea change the sport has brought to a market it has long coveted.
Just a decade ago, it would have been unthinkable that an American institution like Disney would have decided to join the bandwagon of Formula One, which was hardly a niche sport in North America. However, this weekend in Vegas will mark the beginning of a two-year collaboration. Mickey and his friends from the Disneyland Band will perform the national anthem before the race and perform as part of the post-race racers' celebration at the Bellagio Fountains.
It's only fitting that sports and Disney are celebrated here. The streets of Las Vegas, illuminated by neon and wandering spotlights, are filled with racing fans. This week's rain, bringing order to the buildings and giving the Nevada desert a welcome boost, did nothing to dampen anyone's enthusiasm. These fans are the vanguard of Formula 1's popularity in the United States.
This sport has just signed a new agreement with Apple for $160 million (£122 million) a year for five years for US television rights. It's a huge investment from the tech company, which believes the sport is now attractive to its audience, and Formula 1 is convinced it's the best way to reach a new fan base in the US. Apple has previously hosted a handful of Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games, but a full season of every Formula 1 live streaming session for all subscribers is on a whole different level.
Eddie Cue, Apple's vice president of services, recently noted that at a dinner with Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes team in New York, the Austrian was constantly stopped for photos. “Five years ago, no one knew who Toto was when he walked through Soho,” Cue said. “This sport in particular has huge potential.”
Research shows that since 2017, when Liberty Media takes over control of Formula 1The number of US firms that sponsor or partner teams has grown from 44 to 125 this year. This number is expected to increase, especially with the arrival of American brand Cadillac next year.
Leading this revival is Formula 1 Group CEO Stefano Domenicali, a former Ferrari team boss. The Italian, who had the courage and determination to believe that the race could be held in Vegas, believes that there is more to come. “The sky is the limit,” he says. “I want us to have over a billion fans worldwide and growing our fandom in the US can certainly help us achieve that. We believe that once we introduce people to the world of Formula 1, they will be hooked.
“I have always been amazed by the love Americans have for their sport and how deeply it is a part of everyday life. We need to continue to develop what we offer to get to the point where we give both avid existing fans and new, emerging fans so many reasons and opportunities to watch and hear about Formula 1 that we have become part of the culture of the United States.”
On the streets of Las Vegas this weekend you can see his vision in all its glory. Formula 1 is catching what is considered a golden ticket in terms of demographics: 47% of new Formula 1 fans in the US are between the ages of 18 and 24, and more than half are women. These are numbers that people in cricket and rugby would kill for. They are enthusiastic and passionate about young drivers unencumbered by the baggage of Formula 1's long and deservedly illustrious heritage. Drive to Survive or this year's hugely successful Formula One movie starring Brad Pitt might have attracted them, but Formula One is trying to keep them coming back.
Speaking to fans at the track, the draw is less about racers' loyalties to tribe, country or team and more about simply having a good time. They enjoy the spectacle, the lights, the shows, the music, the food and the drinks that Formula One so carefully presents in Las Vegas as part of what in more disdainful circles is derided as “entertainment.” Nobody cares here, partnerships with Disney, Hello Kitty and Lego are welcomed and related products are sold by the armful.
This reflects a conscious change in direction that has worked so well. “Before, when the sport came to the country, we thought we could just come for four days, race, and everyone would like us,” Domenicali says. “We now know that we have to continue to engage with our American fans and US culture until Formula 1 becomes relevant and part of it, so the biggest thing we've changed is how we interact with fans and how we communicate with new audiences. We now communicate with our American fans all year round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
That it was a success is demonstrated by the extremely impressive result, based in part on Formula One's bet on success in the US, which was suitably supported in Las Vegas by the sport itself advertising the race here. Formula 1's market value is now $24 billion, a figure that has risen 25% over the past year and is now three times that how much Liberty Media paid in 2017. These numbers are fueled by business giants like Disney.
Along with this, of course, came criticism, not least that the sport's European powerhouses had become marginalized by economic growth in the US and the pursuit of Middle Eastern petrodollars. However, the pursuit of expansion, at least in the US, has always been perhaps the Holy Grail of Formula One. Mickey in the pit lane? Times have changed and this is Fantasia in Vegas for Formula 1.
