Formula 1 doesn’t need an American driver to spur the sport’s rapid growth in the United States, McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown told Reuters on Friday.
Brown’s comments follow the decision by Formula 1’s governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) not to relax its super licensing rules to allow American IndyCar driver Colton Herta to drive for Red Bull’s AlphaTauri team next year.
“I think the sport will continue to grow in America with or without an American driver,” said Brown, himself an American, ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
“I think an American driver in the sport will be additive, but I don’t think it’s a necessity.”
The US is a growing market for Formula 1, both in terms of viewership and money brought in from major corporate sponsors. Its commercial rights are owned by Liberty Media, based in the USA.
The sport, which will have three US races next year, including a new night Grand Prix in Las Vegas, last had a US driver in 2015 in Alexander Rossi.
RULE REVISION?
Herta, who previously tested in McLaren’s 2021 F1 car, lacked the necessary points for a super license required to enter Formula 1.
“I respect that the rules are the rules so I don’t think we should make exceptions,” Brown said, echoing similar comments from other Formula One team bosses including Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Haas team boss Guenther Steiner.
However, Brown added that a revision of the regulations may be necessary in the future to provide successful IndyCar drivers with an easier route into Formula 1.
“When you have someone like Herta who is clearly capable of being a Formula 1 driver, who has raced in our Formula 1 car, who has won a lot of races in IndyCar and doesn’t qualify, you have to look at the rules and ask if the rules should be reviewed, and I think they should.”
Part of the reason Brown doesn’t think an American driver is necessary for Formula 1 is that the sport is gaining momentum at the U.S. Audience has already made great strides and younger audience.
Growing popularity in the US has attracted a number of new sponsors, including Google and Goldman Sachs, to McLaren.
“Netflix and the growth of Formula 1 in America has put Formula 1 on their radar,” Brown said.
The McLaren boss added that he takes calls every week from American groups and individuals who are “very serious” about investing in Formula 1, but McLaren is not currently looking for new investors.
“The difficult part for a prospective investor is going to be finding a team that is interested in making investments because the teams are very healthy. That will ultimately increase the value of the franchise because the demand far outstrips the supply.”