Will F1 ever race in New York?

Many fans are excited at the possibility of attending this experience with the track winding through some of the most famous spots in Sin City. According to the official website, what awaits drivers in 2023 is a 6.12km/3.8 miles, 17-turn street circuit that is set in the heart of downtown Las Vegas.

With three straights and two DRS zones with winds and bends that pass the famous Caeser’s Palace, Bellagio and the Venetian, it is sure to be a hefty challenge for drivers.

There are now three GP dates in the US on the F1 calendar with tracks in Austin and Miami as well as Vegas. The Miami Grand Prix was raced in May and won by Max Verstappen who has dominated the season so far.

There has been a surge in popularity of the sport in the US, especially since the airing of the Netflix documentary ‘Drive To Survive’. As such, the demand for more events in the nation has grown.

Many US fans are now holding out hope that a further fourth race will be added to the calendar with an eying to New York as a potential location. Sports betting in New York won’t see the direct benefits of an F1 race but the sport is still becoming one of the most popular among bettors.

But what is the possibility of a race in New York happening?

There is already a swell of support from political figures in the city. Mayor Eric Adams submitted a bid for a race in the big apple following the debut of the Miami GP in 2022.

The proposal would have seen the race driven around Randall Island. However, F1 series ownership group Liberty Media rejected the bid.

"The Eric Adams administration has reached out asking for [a race]," said CEO Greg Maffei during an event in New York, according to Autosport. "I think that's very difficult."

One of the biggest obstacles seems to be the exact location of the race. When looking at the most recent additions, the destination cities have ran their tracks through popular areas (see the Vegas Strip.

New York’s Randall Island is a far cry from that and instead the F1 would likely prefer the race be held in a more esteemed area of the city like Central Park. Maffei himself admitted this would be their preference.

"Their proposal, Randall's Island, is probably not our perfect venue," said Maffei. "New York is a wonderful venue, but it's hard to see that they're going to shut Central Park for us."

The streets themselves of which the race would be held on would also prove challenging. It is also unlikely that resident New Yorkers would react kindly to the closing of areas like Central Park nor would citizens of local boroughs to the closing of their streets.

However, with all that being said there is certainly still interest on F1’s side for the future. In an interview with Sky Sports News, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali hinted that he was open to exploring the option.

“There is a lot of interest in far East Asia, more interest in the U.S.,” he said, adding “we have three [in the U.S.], which I think is the right number for the next couple of years.”

This likely means that when the contract for one of the three comes up in the next few years, F1 may look to relocate to NYC rather than add an extra date to the calendar.

His support is integral to the possibility of a New York race though and he even showed his delight at the prospect of more races in the US in scenes from the ‘Drive To Survive’ documentary.

In scenes of Miami’s debut race, Domenicali says “I'm pretty convinced we are just scratching the surface of this market. We are just looking into the future…I’m very excited.”

The benefits of a race in the Big Apple are plentiful. While NYC certainly doesn’t struggle when it comes to tourism, it would still be an extra boost to the local economy with the influx of F1 fans coming to the city.

It would also expand the sports fandom even further as it continues to grow in the US. The debut of the Miami grand prix drew huge numbers with 2.58 million tuning in on ABC, its highest ever F1 viewership in the nation.

While the prospect of a race in New York in the near future seem unlikely, the possibility in 2026 and beyond are fruitful. With support coming from all the right places, it may be only a matter of time and patience.