“Everyone knew NASCAR”: When Lewis Hamilton talked about F1 ‘cracking the code’ with US fans before the inaugural Miami GP

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton previously claimed that he believed that Formula One had finally cracked the US market ahead of the 2022 Miami Grand Prix. The Formula One Management, under the new ownership of Liberty Media, which took over the sport at the end of 2016, has made a visible push to tackle the US market and make the sport more viable.

The FOM has hugely benefited from the popularity of Netflix's series 'Drive to Survive', which debuted in 2019, and introduced new fans to the sport. The show enabled F1 to become more global, as evidenced by the demand to host races across the globe.

Ahead of the inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022, then Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was asked on Good Morning America about the US having a second race, after Austin, and if F1 had cracked the US market, to which the seven-time F1 world champion replied:

"I think so, yeah, because I've been coming out here for a long, long time, but I never quite understood why people weren't into Formula One. Everyone knew NASCAR, and obviously, you got such huge sporting fans out here, but this, as I said, Netflix show, particularly through the pandemic, has just brought massive awareness to the sport, and now it's booming,"

The 2022 Miami GP was a successful affair for the sport as it attracted over 240k fans to the track, while over 2.6 million jumped in front of the TV screens to watch the live action. It also helped Miami extend its stay on the calendar until the end of 2041.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, has failed to stand on the podium in Miami in its four editions thus far.

Lewis Hamilton presents a positive outlook amidst Ferrari's struggles

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton stated that he was proud of the Italian team despite the recent struggles on the track and the negative media coverage.

As per ESPN, the 40-year-old gave a positive message to the team and said:

"I'm looking at the positives on track. The media headlines only tell one story -- one where we don't get things quite right, or things don't go our way. But what I have been focused on over the past few months is the other story. The one about how this team responds when things go wrong. How we get back up, and we go again. "I'm really proud of this team and want to help deliver the results they and the tifosi deserve. I see the progress we are making, and the hard work that goes into every race, but this is Ferrari."

Lewis Hamilton has looked more comfortable in the SF-25 since the summer break and has been on pace with his teammate Charles Leclerc in the last couple of races.

Edited by Devang Chauhan