FORMULA ONE'S TRANSATLANTIC ADVENTURES
As Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso saluted the crowd on the podium of the inaugural United States Grand Prix held in Austin, Texas, Formula One had made a successful return to American soil. The Circuit of the Americas is the first purpose built F1 circuit in the US and the new home of the sport in America produced a thrilling race. Furthermore, it can be said it is about time Formula One found its own place in the States, as the race has been nomadic over the course of the sports history.
SEBRING
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| Australian ace Jack Brabham secured the first of his three World Championships at Sebring in 1959 |
RIVERSIDE
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| Riverside, California hosted the second US Grand Prix in 1960, the next year it would be at another venue. |
It moved transcontinental to Riverside, California the following year. But the event was no more successful than Sebring had been, with a lack of promotion and a small crowd of 25,000. Stirling Moss put in a flawless performance in a privately entered Lotus, winning the race from pole position, his team mate Innes Ireland followed him home in second. But Formula One was on the hunt for a new home in the US again.
WATKINS GLEN
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| America's greatest ever racing driver made his debut at America's most successful F1 venue in 1968 |
In 1961, Formula One raced for the first time at Watkins Glen in Upstate New York. Third time lucky for the organisers as "The Glen" became one of Formula One's most popular venues on the calendar. Watkins Glen was chosen after plans to host the event at the Daytona International Speedway fell through. In stark contrast to Sebring and Riverside, the Grand Prix was well attended with a crowd of 60,000 and it resulted in a tidy profit. The Grand Prix Driver's Association awarded Watkins Glen the best organised race of the season in 1965, 1970 and 1971. The Glen played host to some memorable moments during its reign as the US Grand Prix venue, such as the incredible debut of one Mario Andretti in 1968, the Italian-born American driver qualifying his Lotus on pole position for his first race. But it also brought sadness with the deaths of Francois Cevert in 1973, and Helmuth Koinigg in 1974. Ultimately this drew concerns over safety, and in 1980, Jean-Pierre Jabouille crashed heavily breaking both his legs. That year was the last time that F1 would race at the circuit, a shame for the loyal crowds after 19 years.
LONG BEACH
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| Long Beach was always a pleasant place for the F1 fraternity, but in 1984 Indy Cars moved in |
While F1 was still being held at Watkins Glen, a second race in the US arrived on the scene in 1976. Englishman, Chris Pook had the idea that a race through the streets of Long Beach, California would put the town on the map, very astute of him as the plan worked. The United States Grand Prix West as it was known was popular, unlike most American street circuits which will be shown below, Long Beach was not built on the grid system, meaning the circuit was not a constant stream of 90-degree turns, this allowed for a flowing circuit producing good racing. Historic moments at the circuit included Mario Andretti's first F1 victory in the US in 1977, the first ever victory for Nelson Piquet in 1980, Niki Lauda's win in 1982 just three races after his comeback and the most spectacular of all, John Watson's sensational drive from 22nd on the grid to win the race in 1983. The latter was the final time Long Beach would play host to a Formula One event, as the circuit became part of the Indy Car World Series in 1984.
LAS VEGAS
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| Alan Jones leads the field en route to his final Grand Prix victory in Las Vegas in 1981 |
After the demise of Watkins Glen, Formula One went from the sublime to the ridiculous in 1981. Caesars Palace car park hosted the final round of the season in '81 and '82. The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas was seen as a perfect opportunity for F1, though some cynics claimed it was a great publicity stunt to rid the city its image of Mafia connections. The pit lane was very small with no garage facilities, though the track surface drew some acclaim for its billiard table like smoothness. But the twisty anti-clockwise circuit played havoc with the driver's necks, furthermore the desert sun of Las Vegas took its toll, not just on the drivers but also the spectators, it was hardly surprising that the event drew the smallest attendances of the year. The Caesars Palace Grand Prix decided the championship in 1981 and 1982. Nelson Piquet infamously overcame exhaustion to clinch the '81 title, while Keke Rosberg drove sensibly in 1982 to win the coveted crown. No-one was sad to see Las Vegas disappear from the calendar.
DETROIT
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| Detroit was not a favourite amongst the drivers due to the bumpy surface |
In 1982, the United States became the first country to host three Formula One races in one season. Along with Long Beach and Las Vegas, F1 came to the "Motor City" but not without problems, the circuit was not ready by the time the first practice session was due to get underway, which was subsequently postponed. The race itself was memorable for John Watson's charge from 17th on the grid to victory. Other notable Detroit moments include the final victory for Tyrrell in 1983, and Ayrton Senna taking the final victory for the classic Team Lotus in 1987. Detroit was notoriously bumpy, drawing many complaints from drivers and overtaking was nigh on impossible. F1 made its last visit to Detroit in 1988, but the sport was still not finished with American street circuits.
DALLAS
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| To the delight of F1 drivers, teams and fans, 1984 was the first and last time Dallas hosted a Grand Prix |
With the loss of Long Beach, Bernie Ecclestone began searching for another race in America. Even before the demise of the aforementioned Californian venue, a Grand Prix in New York was announced for 1983 but nothing came of it. Ecclestone took the Grand Prix circus south to Dallas for 1984. The July weather in the Texan city was excruciatingly hot, the mercury soaring past 100 degrees. Worse still was the circuit, which was a mess, as the surface broke up, hasty repairs didn't set. Despite talks of a boycott, the race went on with Larry Hagman waving the green flag, many drivers ended the race in the concrete walls. Keke Rosberg soldiered on to win but it was Nigel Mansell's efforts to push his stricken Lotus across the line in the heat which was the main talking point. The dropping of Dallas from the calendar after the farce surprised nobody.
PHOENIX
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| The emergence of Jean Alesi occurred at the extremely bland Phoenix Street Circuit in 1990 |
Initially it looked as though Formula One would stay in Detroit beyond 1988, with a Grand Prix in Belle Isle Park but no agreement was made. Laguna Seca was also on the shortlist of candidates but was thought to be too small and remote for F1, pity considering that is a permanent road circuit. So instead, F1 headed to the streets of Phoenix, Arizona in 1989. The first race held there took place in June, a time of year which in Phoenix, as was the case with Dallas, temperatures regularly reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which did not tempt many of the locals out of their air-conditioned homes. To give the organisers credit, there was no problem with the organisation and the track itself was not as bumpy as Detroit, making it more tolerable from a drivers perspective, it was also more open but almost every corner was a right angle bend, providing the circuit with next to no character. For 1990, to avoid the desert heat, the race was moved to March and the opening race of the season, it was in this race that Jean Alesi in an inferior Tyrrell memorably fought with Ayrton Senna for the lead. The final race in Phoenix was in 1991 where only 18,500 spectators attended the event, it is believed that more people attended an ostrich race held in the area on the same day. If that was the case, it was a smart idea not to race in Phoenix again. Why F1 persisted in rotating venues among temporary street circuits, when a demanding 4-mile road course at Road America, Wisconsin would have been a greater spectacle, is a mystery.
INDIANAPOLIS
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| Indianapolis seemed like a brilliant idea, but the 2005 fiasco is undoubtedly the most infamous moment of F1's time at the Speedway |
After a 9-year absence, Formula One returned to the United States at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The banked final corner and the start-finish straight was used from the 2.5 mile oval while a purpose built in-field section was created for the Formula One cars, although a twisty final sector took some of the shine away from the high speed image. The first race in 2000 was a phenomenal success, drawing a record attendance of over 250,000 fans. 2001 was also notable for being the first international sporting event held in the USA after the September 11 attacks. Indianapolis was no stranger to controversy either, 2002 saw a clumsy, staged attempt at a dead heat by Michael Schumacher, with his team mate Rubens Barrichello pipping him to victory by 0.011 of a second. Then came 2005, and one of the most shocking moments in F1 history. Concerns over the safety of the Michelin tyres led to the teams who used them withdrawing from the race after the formation lap, leaving the six cars who ran Bridgestone tyres to lead a 73 lap procession. The calamity led to questions regarding whether a United States Grand Prix would be held in Indianapolis again, fortunately the 2006 and 2007 races were problem free but expensive fees led to the race been dropped after the latter. Ultimately, Formula One finally returned to the United States in 2012.
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