MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Observing the vibrant scene from the ground floor of the Miami International Autodrome, former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield couldn`t help but wonder, “Are they cheering for me?” Above him, hundreds of Formula 1 enthusiasts filled the tiered balconies, leaning over the railings and shouting down into the paddock below, hoping to catch the attention of celebrities arriving for the fourth Miami Grand Prix.
“Nah, man, that`s not for me. I`m not young enough or cool enough for this crowd,” the 62-year-old `Real Deal` remarked with a wink, pointing towards a swirling throng of people surrounding someone hidden from view. “Like that guy is.”
“That guy” was Timothée Chalamet, the 29-year-old actor known for films like `Dune`. And indeed, the predominantly young crowd erupted in cheers for the young star.
However, not even the acclaimed actor could match the sudden surge of high-pitched excitement generated by the even younger individuals heading to their workplace – the drivers themselves.
As each race driver emerged one by one from their team`s headquarters, located on the field of Hard Rock Stadium, and navigated through the crowds towards the garages, the intensity of the cheers seemed directly correlated with their age.
“It`s good to be young and fast,” observed 85-year-old Sir Jackie Stewart, a three-time world champion, watching 25-year-old Lando Norris and his McLaren team pass by amidst shouts of “LANDO! LANDO! LOOK UP HERE!” Stewart continued, “That`s the perfect way to describe Formula 1 right now: young and fast.”
A few hours later, the race results reinforced the legend`s observation. Norris finished second, right behind his teammate Oscar Piastri, 24, solidifying their positions near the top of the drivers` championship standings. They were joined on the podium by George Russell, 27. Following them were reigning world champion Max Verstappen, also 27, Alex Albon, considered somewhat older at 29, and then Kimi Antonelli, who had made headlines Friday by becoming the youngest F1 driver ever to secure a pole position. Antonelli won`t turn 19 until late August.
“I spent 15 years trying to get my kids to watch F1 with me on Sunday mornings, and they always said, `Shut up, Dad, it`s boring! We want to sleep in!`” shared Miami resident Oscar Martinez, 48. He sat in the upper deck of Hard Rock Stadium, watching the race on large screens as the action outside rattled the seats around him. He pointed two rows down to his teenage son and daughter, both dressed head-to-toe in McLaren gear and utterly captivated by the race. “Now, they`re the ones waking me up on Sunday mornings to watch F1, and these tickets were their only Christmas wish.” He then called out loudly enough for them to hear, “She has the biggest crush on Oscar!”
“Dad, shut up!” came the immediate reply.
As Mr. Holyfield noted, they are young, and crucially, they are cool. In its 75-year history, the world`s most popular motorsport has never been this cool in the United States, nor has it ever grown this rapidly among the younger generation.
American interest in F1 has surged dramatically since the summer of 2020. Confined to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, millions discovered the streaming documentary series `Drive to Survive`. Suddenly, a sport previously cherished by a small, dedicated, and often older audience of auto racing fans became a fascination for countless individuals who couldn`t previously distinguish between a safety car and a famous song.
With a global fanbase estimated at 750 million people, approximately 42% are under the age of 35 – figures that make US-based sports like NASCAR and IndyCar envious. F1 claims that half of its American fans started watching within the last five years, adding over 20 million new enthusiasts, with the fastest-growing demographic being females aged 16 to 24.
One might dismiss these statistics as clever marketing. However, anyone present in the Miami International Autodrome grandstands on Sunday witnessed ample firsthand evidence supporting these claims.
“When I was a kid, my father brought me to this stadium to watch Dan Marino because he said I needed to see the greatest quarterback ever,” shouted Lisa Donato of Fort Lauderdale over the roar of the cars from her vantage point on a spiral ramp at Hard Rock Stadium. “I didn`t want to go at first, but I became a lifelong Dolphins fan and even have a No. 13 tattoo. Now I come to this same stadium with my kids, and they adore Charles Leclerc [the 27-year-old Ferrari driver]. Now my daughter wants a Ferrari tattoo, but I told her she`s not old enough yet!”
“Nothing makes us happier than seeing not just young people, but entire families here together,” said Tom Garfinkel, who oversees the Miami Grand Prix and serves as Vice Chairman, President, and CEO of the Miami Dolphins, the stadium`s primary tenant. F1 recently announced a significant 10-year extension, securing the Miami GP through 2041. “The Formula 1 audience has expanded significantly everywhere, but here in the United States, it`s been remarkable. We didn`t cause it, but we`re proud to contribute to it.”
The 1980s and `90s saw very few F1 events in the United States, followed by years of sporadic visits. Now, there are three races annually: Miami in the spring, and Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas in the fall. Despite recent talk of other American cities vying for a Formula 1 weekend, this trio appears set for the foreseeable future. The Circuit of the Americas in Austin has a contract through next season, while Las Vegas is secured all the way through 2032.
Based on the enthusiastic young people leaning over the rails and the equally young drivers they were cheering for, it`s clear that America`s youth are captivated by Formula 1. And there`s no sign of their passion waning. This was underscored, very loudly, when Piastri claimed his victory, prompting cheers from the Hard Rock Stadium grandstands that momentarily rivaled the thunder of the twenty powerful machines on track.
“You can definitely feel that energy. I certainly do, and I`m no youngster,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner commented Friday regarding the youthful atmosphere in the paddock and surrounding areas. Horner employs both Max Verstappen and 24-year-old Yuki Tsunoda. “The fans feed off our energy, but we absolutely feed off theirs.”
As Sir Stewart put it, it`s a great time to be young – and fast.
Dominic Ashworth