For a sport which struggled for the best part of 70 years to find a home across the Atlantic, Formula One’s presence in the United States has reached unprecedented heights this year. And that’s not just a nod to the three US races, in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas, nor to the boom in popularity stateside – a result of Liberty Media’s 2017 takeover and Drive to Survive Netflix fever.
Rather it has been, ahead of the highly-charged US presidential election on 5 November, the surprising arena for the two nominees to appear, promote and present themselves in a unique and increasingly attractive way to the electorate.
It started in May when Donald Trump attended the Miami Grand Prix at the Hard Rock Stadium, located around 60 miles from his Mar-a-Lago resort. Never one to shy away from the spotlight in times of controversy, Trump waltzed through the paddock surrounded by security personnel, was given a tour of the McLaren garage by CEO Zak Brown and was present on the grid as The Star-Spangled Banner was sung by Marc Anthony pre-race.
At the end of the race, after Lando Norris claimed his first F1 win, Trump congratulated the McLaren driver in person, stating he was Norris’s “lucky charm”. The 24-year-old Brit added: “Donald is someone you have to have respect for in many ways and I guess it was an honour for him to come up to me and to take the time out of his life to acknowledge what I’ve done – it was a cool moment.”
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