As Michael Andretti's initial's bid to join Formula 1 was met with resistance last year, United States Grand Prix promoter Bobby Epstein was asked if Andretti joining the series would make an impact on Austin ticket sales: "I think it would make a difference to COTA if we had an American champion," came the reply.
This was at a time when Logan Sargeant was struggling at Williams, and the American's presence made virtually no dent on ticket sales across any of the three US races - Austin, Las Vegas and Miami. The lack of results also didn't warrant a big presence for Sargeant in Netflix hit series Drive to Survive.
