F1 has had a tumultuous time in the United States since the first world championship US GP in 1959. Although Watkins Glen and Long Beach were successful venues, it was difficult for F1 to make a deep, lasting impression in a country with so much high-level domestic competition. And there have been silly misfires, such as the 2005 farce when only six cars started at Indianapolis.
But now F1 really does seem to have made a major impact in America. As Matt Kew shows in our special issue, various factors have combined to make that happen, with two new races and the attempts by the Andretti team to join the championship showing how far F1 has come. We also recall the various American venues over the years and why they failed.
