Peak attendance of 440,000 people in the audience in Texas, average viewership of 949,000 in 2021, and viewership of over a million of the 70 million in 2022. These are the numbers representing the ongoing growth of Formula 1 in the United States. For this and all the sponsorships, the sport has rewarded the country with two additional races in Miami and Las Vegas. Additionally, leading the drivers alongside the authorities, Lewis Hamilton has taken the stage to thank the fans in the North American country.

Several factors have played a major role in the growth, from ESPN broadcasting to Netflix’s Drive to Survive. This growth has further benefited drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, who has been the face of the sport since the growth started. So, being the humble guy that he is on and off the track, trying to lead things and bring about a change from the front, the driver thanked the fans for their support and for loving the sport.

As quoted by F1 Maximaal from a Sky Sports video, Lewis Hamilton said, “I still remember my first race in the United States Indianapolis and I came here regularly. But I always had to tell people here about the sport and what it meant exactly. I always knew how fantastic this sport is and that we now have three GPs in this big country is great. That people here, but of course also elsewhere in the world, embrace this sport is wonderful.”

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For Lewis, the United States GP has been special since he arrived on the F1 scene with McLaren in 2007. He has won it a total of six times, of which the first came on the Indianapolis Circuit and the rest on the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. However, luck hasn’t favored the Mercedes driver since 2017, which marked his last win in the country. Now, he has three chances this year, but the lack of support from the car isn’t helping his case.

Contract extension pending for Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton wants to win his record eighth title, that too, with Mercedes. He wants to get back to winning ways with the team, but with chances looking slim this year, he needs more time at Mercedes. The driver, who is reportedly said to have been offered a single-year contract, wants more than that. But the contention on his end rests on the planned upgrades for Imola.

In Baku, he was quoted by Julianne Cerasoli as saying, “I’m thinking long term. I don’t want to stay here for another year. I want to stay longer.” This is a major hint for the team, as the driver intends to stay for a long time.”

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In the meantime, the team is preparing itself for the worst. Reportedly, it has a list of reserves with the likes of Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Mick Schumacher on it.