Talking completely to Motorsport.com throughout final weekend’s third Miami GP on the Laborious Rock Stadium, Epp stated that the arrival of a 3rd grand prix in America – final November’s Las Vegas GP – expands the scope to differentiate them from each other.
Consequently, this implies they’ll differentiate themselves – relatively than be in competitors with one another – and pursue their very own varieties of followers to maximise attendance and revenues in a large sports activities market.
“We had dinner with the Las Vegas crew final evening, and we talked rather a lot about this,” he stated. “We change a number of data with them, and a bit with Austin as nicely.
“I believe the good factor is that Components 1 not solely permits however they encourage us to function in another way. They need us to characterize the communities and the cities through which we dwell.
“And so the expertise in Austin is sort of completely different than the expertise right here in Miami, which is sort of completely different expertise in Vegas. So, credit score to Stefano [Domenicali, F1’s CEO] and crew for giving us the liberty to execute at that stage, so we do not essentially really feel the competitors.
“In truth, if it is something, it is how will we work collectively to proceed to offer this rising US F1 fan base what they need.”
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A523
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Miami ran a dash weekend format for the primary time in 2024, mirroring Austin’s transfer final season, though Circuit of the Americas chairman Bobby Epstein revealed that it didn’t end in an even bigger viewers for Saturday as he’d anticipated.
Epp believes that Miami GP Saturday tickets on the secondary market – the place they’re resold after initially being bought from the venue’s vendor – constructed some very important late momentum to make sure that the occasion was bought out.
“For those who had requested me this query a month in the past, I might have stated we have not actually seen the impression – I am unsure the worth is there,” stated Epp. “I’ve to let you know, the final couple of weeks we now have seen our Saturday actions actually driving our worth.
“We see that on the secondary market, the place the tickets get break up up. Rapidly there was a market constructing for Saturday and I believe that is partially to do with the dash race, and I believe we have to embrace that.”
Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing RB20, Sergio Perez, Crimson Bull Racing RB20, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, the remainder of the sector initially of the Dash
Picture by: Alexander Trienitz
Epp added that the noon begin time of the dash didn’t assist its trigger, however the truth it was a race relatively than a observe session was key: “Is it good? In all probability not.
“Are there alternatives for us to make it higher? Sure, however I believe the truth that we’re scanning as many individuals [on Saturday] earlier than midday in order that they arrive in right here, they usually’re of their seats for the start of the dash race in the present day, I believe that claims one thing.
“It is a late crowd. If we did not have the dash race in the present day, and we had FP3 after which quali, I might let you know the probabilities of us having 50,000 individuals sitting within the stands at midday wouldn’t be very doubtless.
“And we had a very nice crowd by the point the dash race began.”
