The support race billing for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix has much to offer those keen to watch racing cars of the past, but not those looking to see the young American racers of the future.
None of America’s junior racing series feature on the support race bill this weekend. The US Formula 4 and Formula Regional series will visit the track two weeks later.Just three years ago, US F4 brought a 33-strong grid of cars to support what was the only American world championship round. But just six cars lined up for their last race at Mosport in Canada, while Formula Regional Americas had 10.
If Formula 1 wants its three American rounds to feature competitive local drivers in the future, this should give it cause for concern. Neither series is being led by an American racer.
American driver Logan Sargeant was still on the grid when F1 visited Miami earlier this year. But since Williams sacked him the chances F1 may have another US driver in the near future look slim.
Jak Crawford
Crawford is an outsider for the F2 title, 53.5 points behind leader Gabriel Bortoleto. However his DAMS team have already confirmed he will return to drive for them next year. If he can pull off a convincing championship win at his third attempt, that could boost his chances of reaching F1 – though it did little for Drugovich.
Juan Manuel Correa
The Ecuador-born driver’s career was disrupted by the terrible Formula 2 crash five years ago at Spa which claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert and left Correa with serious leg injuries. He eventually returned to F2 two years ago, by way of F3, but despite reaching the podium at the feature race in Catalunya he is only 17th in the standings with four races remaining.
Correa was previously part of Sauber’s junior team and tested an F1 car for them prior to his crash. Since his return he has also participated in sports car racing and that looks a more likely destination for the 25-year-old.
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Max Esterson
The only American to compete in Formula 3 this year started out not in karts but online, in iRacing. His entry into single-seater racing was complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic but by 2021 he was able to move to the UK and took a single win in GB3 the following year. He enjoyed more success by stepping down a level to win the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.
F3 with the lowly Jenzer team proved a tougher proposition, however. Sixth in the season-opening partial-reverse-grid race at Bahrain remained his best result all year, despite some promising qualifying performances, including a front row start at Silverstone. He has been absent from post-season testing so a return next year looks doubtful.
Colton Herta
Herta produced his best season so far this year, rising to second in the standings with two wins. As a result he is now capable of qualifying for a superlicence given suitable practice time – though he still lacks an opportunity to enter F1. “It would have been useful a few years ago,” he admitted after the IndyCar finale. “It’s nice to have one, I guess. I think it’s disrespectful for IndyCar how underrepresented it is.”
F1 has been without an American driver for much of Liberty Media’s time running the series, yet the sport has still shown impressive growth in the USA. However the presence of a competitive American driver in a top team would surely spur it on to even greater heights.
Another potential route into F1, albeit a much more tenuous one, exists for Herta through his Andretti IndyCar team, which is also seeking an entry into F1. The series has firmly resisted them so far, but is facing an investigation from the US Department of Justice over its hostility to new entrants, and the European Union may be about to add to the burden on them. If F1 ever acquiesces to demands to open up its grid, it may find a side benefit in the arrival of a new American talent.
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2024 United States Grand Prix
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MichaelN
17th October 2024, 8:06
Unlike countries in Asia or Africa, there is no real excuse here that the domestic motorsport scene isn’t strong enough for talent to rise through the ranks. It’s mostly a case of either having no interest to race internationally or just a lack of performance. Aside from maybe Newgarden, there aren’t any US drivers that would make F1 teams think they missed a chance to have a high profile driver from that country.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
18th October 2024, 5:37
European drivers are much better than US drivers. Most likely due to the fact that US roads are so wide, along with the geography. You just won’t see the same level of driving statistically speaking, in the US vs in Europe. Its almost like its so night and day difference, the odds of anyone in the US making it in to F1, which is much more influenced by money from Europe, is just not realistic. Plus karting is something you do at amusement parks in the states, its not really a thing in the US, unless your lucky to have a family that even knows its a thing.
It really is the product of geography (environment) and statistics. And because there is even less marketing impetus say in South Africa, or maybe Nigeria, its just probably even worse. Like if US people are on the second standard deviation (2/3%) Africa is on the 3rd, which is almost non existent. That said, there are probably a lot of guys who immigrate to the UK or France, who could stand a good chance, given the scene and driving opportunities.
It would be good for F1 to go to the continent, BUT, hopefully its not pulled in to countries like Rwanda, which have huge human rights issues and conflicts with their neighbors involving mining, and huge issues (DRC) with European colonial histories (Belgium/…) which SHOULD be addressed. Not to mention the US meddling and just about everyone else to a lessor extent. Its just too political infact, as any country that has more “freedom” away from corporate foreign interests, is less likely to be featured in an F1 race, which is the biggest shame, along with what the olympics are/have turning/ed in to.
Alesici
17th October 2024, 9:00
This article is wrong. Colton Herta has still not qualified to receive a superlicense. The TV coverage at the end of the final race which he won to take 2nd in the Indycar championship indicated that he finally had enough points for a superlicense, but this was not true, as described here.
This of course is an absolute farce. As Alex Rossi so eloquently tweeted many years ago, the superlicense points system was introduced to put sport above commercial interests, by preventing pay drivers from getting into F1. But in the way the FIA allocated the points to different championships, the FIA placed its own commercial interests before sport by allocating significantly more points to FIA-sanctioned championships than those sanctioned by other motor sport bodies. So, for example, they allocate the same 10 points (of the required 40 over 3 years) to a driver finishing 4th in the Indycar standings, as a driver finishing 2nd in FIA Formula 4, with its mighty 160bhp monster engines.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
17th October 2024, 10:44
Thanks for this – I’ve adjusted the wording to reflect the fact he would need to do a practice session to gain the necessary extra point much as Sargeant himself did.
Nick T.
17th October 2024, 15:34
The FIA’s current license rules is primarily a scheme to milk as much money as possible from its drivers, of which, 95% are obnoxiously wealthy and likely don’t mind the extortionate fees if it reduces their competition.
Unicron (@unicron2002)
17th October 2024, 9:29
Was Sergeant ever a home ‘hero’?! Home driver, yes. I wonder when the US last had a home hero? Mario Andretti I guess.
MichaelN
17th October 2024, 9:56
Mario Andretti is probably the only proper US “hero”, indeed. Maybe Gurney as well, but he wasn’t that successful in F1 specifically. And of course Andretti was born an Italian who only became a US citizen later in life.
F1 and the US just aren’t that great a mix, it seems.
Nick T.
17th October 2024, 15:40
I’ve quite literally never encountered a single American F1 fan who said they were a fan. Title should simply have been something like Any US Fans Hoping for Home Grown F1 Star May Are Likely in for Long Wait.
Nick T.
17th October 2024, 11:35
“Next” home hero? Contrary to popular British opinion, Americans don’t embrace a driver just because they’re American. Most American F1 fans I know were embarrassed by Logan.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
17th October 2024, 21:01
Aha, when reading title I also wanted to say that I’d rather not have an italian on the grid than having a badoer or giovinazzi.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
17th October 2024, 21:02
Italy also isn’t doing well in terms of drivers, the only real top italian driver raced in f1 70 years ago!
Nick T.
18th October 2024, 7:23
Hey, Trulli was truly…good. He doesn’t get enough love. Obviously, he was no Ascari, Alonso, Andretti or Antonelli, but he was like an Italian Hulkenberg with the quali speed of a Leclerc.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
18th October 2024, 10:43
Michele Alboreto would almost certainly have been WDC in 1985 except for Ferrari’s appalling reliability towards the end of the season.
Nick T.
19th October 2024, 4:04
Ah, you recognized the theme. I almost included him.
Jeffrey Powell
17th October 2024, 12:13
I have been a fan since before I could drive 1964 onwards , Dan Gurney was one of my heroes in those days ,he was super fast and always seemed to be giving 10/10ths. Apparently my number one of all time Jim Clark considered Gurney his most serious rival, enough said!.
Mig29smt
17th October 2024, 12:27
usa fans laughing at Canapino and the comes Colapinto and humiliates your only F1 driver.
Nick T.
17th October 2024, 15:25
Are you a Russian bot or something? A: Logan has no fans in the US. He’s not “our” driver. B: Americans never laughed at Colapinto. Hell, most have never heard of him and US F1 fans have had nothing but praise for him.
Nick T.
17th October 2024, 15:28
BTW, still better than “your driver” Mazespin. It’s true everyone was laughing at him.
Miane
17th October 2024, 15:29
I would mention Ugo Ugochukwu above most of those names.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
17th October 2024, 15:42
When this sad and lost Nation create anything worth applauding, then I will applaud.
Richard
17th October 2024, 19:42
I’m from the U.S. and I’ve been watching F1 for the better part of the last 23 years and I’ve never once cared what country a driver is from. I’ve always rooted for drivers including NASCAR going back to the late 70s based on their character on and off the track not where they’re from or if they’re currently winning or not.
Nick T.
17th October 2024, 23:00
Nonsense. Logan is a hero to all! Ironically, the driver I dislike the most in F1 history is American: Scott Speed. What an embarrassment to not just America, but mankind generally.