Brawn hints at third US F1 race after sell-out crowd at COTA

After a year’s absence due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Austin welcomed F1 back with an estimated weekend attendance of 380,000.

F1 will remain at COTA for 2022 while a second race in Miami will take place next year.

There have also been rumours of Las Vegas hosting a grand prix in the future. 

Writing in his post-race F1 column, Brawn believes that the sport is finally making real progress in America.

“We’re seeing a very strong engagement with American fans now,” Brawn said. “For years, F1 was a cult hobby in America but we are now seeing a genuine increase in engagement.

“Fans know the drivers, they know the personalities, they know the nuances of F1. It’s very exciting and I think it demonstrates F1 can comfortably have two races in the USA – and maybe more – because of the passion of the fans we’ve experienced this weekend.

“There was so much great stuff over the weekend, such as basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal arriving at the podium with the trophies in an awesome Longhorn car. He came and had a chat to me afterwards and it turns out he’s a bit of a petrolhead.

“This was a very American weekend and it was all the better for it. We love races like this. It’s fantastic to be so close to a great city like Austin, and great to see 380,000 fans turn up across the weekend and create a cracking atmosphere.”

Brawn also praised title rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for the role they played in making the weekend a great spectacle for fans.

“This was a race to be glued to the screen, studying the gaps and the tyre strategy to see how the race was evolving,” Brawn added. “It was far from certain until the end who would come out on top. Neither Lewis or Max put a foot wrong – and that’s the fantastic thing about this championship.

“We’ve got two drivers who are driving immaculately, and I don’t think I really saw a mistake from either of them, nothing significant anyway. And it capped off a sensational weekend with huge sell-out crowds every day, great weather, great atmosphere and a great vibe about the place.”