The Miami Grand Prix last weekend was the most watched Formula 1 race in US history. The Florida Grand Prix was an event for the absolute stars and everyone wanted to be a part of it, including American Formula 1 fans.

A second race was added in the US after popularity in the country soared to an all-time high. Thanks in part to the Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive, the US Grand Prix actually attracted a record number of visitors last season. Since acquiring Liberty Media in 2017, stocks have focused on the American continent and that appears to be paying off now.

Watch the numbers

The hype surrounding the race in Miami was immense, with the race setting the record for most viewers of a live Formula 1 race on American television. Thus, a tour of the channels yields impressive numbers. For example, US channel ABC drew about 2.6 million viewers for its live coverage of the race on Sunday. With this, the channel immediately took the record for the most American viewers during the Grand Prix. Saturday’s qualifying session on ESPN drew an average of 953,000 viewers and an audience of 398,000 who watched Friday’s first practice session on ESPN 2. Both numbers represent the most viewers for a qualifying or practice session since Formula 1’s return to ESPN in 2018.

Young

Liberty Media has also been trying to reach a younger audience since taking over Formula 1. Sprint is one of those initiatives to attract young people. US channel viewing figures also show that young people are starting to watch Formula 1. The season is now five races underway, and compared to last year, about 49 percent of young people are watching this year.