(Motorsport-Total.com) – Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has revealed that recently elected Mayor of New York City Eric Adams has expressed an interest in hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix. At the same time, Maffei downplayed the chances of a fourth American race alongside Austin, Miami and Las Vegas.
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Sergio Perez completed a demo ride through New York before the Miami GP
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Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone tried for years to host a race in or near New York. In 2011, promoter Leo Hindery envisioned a location in Port Imperial, New Jersey, with the city’s skyline as the backdrop.
The race was added to the 2013 calendar. The preparatory work had already begun before the project failed due to a lack of funding.
Since taking over Formula 1 in 2017, Liberty has prioritized the addition of “destination” racing in the United States. Although the company has always been interested in New York and has even revisited New Jersey, the projects in Miami and Las Vegas were realized first.
Offered locations not attractive for Liberty
At a financial event in New York on Thursday, a moderator asked Maffei if a grand prix was being considered in the city. He revealed Mayor Adams had proposed a location on Randalls and Wards Island, an area made up mostly of parkland and athletic fields across the Harlem River in northeast Manhattan.
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However, Maffei clarifies that Liberty does not consider this location to be suitable: “Their proposal, Randalls Island, is probably not our perfect venue. A lot of time and money was invested here 15 to 20 years ago, including by Leo Hindery, who tried to to build a racetrack in Hoboken.”
“I think the reality is that street racing in a place like New York is just very, very, very difficult,” Maffei continues. “Las Vegas is one of the few places in the United States where you can probably have a street race, there’s a different mentality there.”
New York is also a wonderful venue, “but it’s hard to imagine that they will close Central Park for us!”, the Liberty Media boss points out.
When asked by the moderator if he would like a New York race, Maffei replies, “I suspect there are a few other groups that don’t want that, so that’s probably a fight we don’t need to fight.”
Maffei: Miami a success, improvements needed
Maffei highlighted the first Miami Grand Prix as a great success: “The demand was crazy. There were many people who told me that it was the best sporting event they have ever visited.” At the same time, however, he acknowledged that there were problems that the organization had to address for 2023
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“The drivers don’t like everything on the track, which is not unusual,” Maffei knows and also speaks to the Paddock Club Hospitality about the pits and the subject of safety. “We’ll see. There are things we need to work on.”
“I think the Miami Dolphins, our local partners, have done a great job overall. They’re well aware of the issues or questions that have come up, but those are easy to fix. The TV experience, the excitement and the general mood in Miami has been positive throughout. I mean, insanely good. And I don’t think that’s going to change.”
On the fact that the first race was a losing proposition for the promoter, Maffei says: “I think it will be very profitable for the Dolphins. Their income statement and ours are a little different. But they have a ten-year contract. And they’re going to make a lot of money.”
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