The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix 2021 is less than two weeks away and anticipation levels are rising for the pinnacle of motorsport’s long-awaited return to Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas for the first time since 2019. The previous edition of this fan-favorite race weekend was a sell-out, and the two-year wait has only increased the appetite of American fans to experience the greatest drivers in the world white-knuckling their way around the home of Formula 1 in the United States. Indeed, tickets for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix 2021 have sold out, even with an extra grandstand added to accommodate demand!
But what is the reason behind this surge in popularity for F1 in the U.S.?
Of course, COTA has established itself as THE home of world-class racing and entertainment over the past decade, hosting some of the most dramatic F1 races of the past 10 years including nail-biting title deciders and a famous win for a certain ‘Iceman’.
Furthermore, the COTA live F1 weekend entertainment package is simply unrivalled. Past artists who have performed on the Super Stage during the USGP weekend include P!NK, Imagine Dragons, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, and Sir Elton John. This year, COTA will add the legendary Billy Joel to that esteemed list, who will perform his endless repertoire of classic hits on Saturday October 23rd. Moreover, on Friday October 22nd, Twenty One Pilots will deliver their exhilarating live show as they help launch the turbocharged return of F1 to Austin in style!
In addition, in the past two years – and especially during the global lockdown – it was the impact of Netflix’s F1 documentary series, Drive to Survive, that has seen interest and engagement in the sport skyrocket in the United States. Currently filming its fourth season, the show offers previously unseen insights into the lives of the stars of F1 – the drivers, team principals & staff – and the pressures they face competing in the high-octane world of F1. This combination of behind-the-scenes access, pulsating drama and the honest reflection of the humanity that drives the spirit of Formula 1 has captured the imagination of the whole world, including the U.S.
Indeed, earlier this year the show ranked No. 1 for TV series worldwide shortly after Season 3’s release in March. Furthermore, Formula 1’s TV audience in the United States has jumped since Drive to Survive was released. ESPN said its average viewers per race had risen to about 928,000 in 2021 from about 547,000 in 2018. This is further reflected in the rush for tickets by U.S. fans old and new for this year’s Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
With the above in mind, COTA decided to turn the tables on the stars of the show and find out what they have been watching while the rest of the world watches them! It turns out, the streaming habits and viewing preferences of F1’ s finest are as interesting and varied as their driving styles! Keep reading to find out more:
What is your all-time favorite series/binge watch?
George Russell (Williams Racing): “Modern Family”
Nicolas Latifi (Williams Racing): “Prison Break”
Nikita Mazepin (Haas F1 Team): “Peaky Blinders”
Mick Schumacher (Haas F1 Team): “The Harry Potter Films”
Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri): “Casa de Papel (Money Heist)”
Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri): “I don’t watch a lot of series but enjoy You Tube Gaming Videos”
Lando Norris (McLaren F1 Team): “Prison Break & Casa de Papel (Money Heist)”
Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren F1 Team): “Ozark”
Fernando Alonso (Alpine F1 Team): “Lost”
Esteban Ocon (Alpine F1 Team): “Not a favorite show but I love The Dark Knight Rises”
Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN): “No favourite but documentaries and anything based on real stories”
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team): “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari): “Money Heist”
Carlos Sainz (Scuderia Ferrari): “Game of Thrones, Suits and Money Heist”
What has been your favorite TV show or movie of 2021?
Nicolas Latifi: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”
Nikita Mazepin: “Not a show from this year but I loved the latest Mission Impossible”
Mick Schumacher: “The Queen’s Gambit”
Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing): “Vivir Sin Permiso (Unauthorised Living)”
Pierre Gasly: “Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami”
Lando Norris: “Brilliant question – I don’t even know. I don’t remember the names of the movies; I just watch them…”
Daniel Ricciardo: “Superstore – my 2021 find!”
Fernando Alonso: “Hmm, perhaps my show (Fernando on Amazon Prime) It is something you are proud of when it comes out because it has been one year of recording. When finally in August it came out it was big news for all the people that were involved in the programme. [With regards to other shows] I am quite open. I am not a person who commits to one type of series or movies. I can watch a comedy and the next day I watch a thriller and still enjoy both.”
Esteban Ocon: “The series Loki on Disney+”
Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN): “A Spanish series called: Who Killed Sara?
Lance Stroll: “The new season of Money Heist”
Charles Leclerc: “Squid Game”
Carlos Sainz: “{The new] James Bond!”
What’s your guilty binge watch pleasure?
George Russell: “Definitely Modern Family!”
Nicolas Latifi: “Game of Thrones”
Mick Schumacher: “I’ve watched Harry Potter about one hundred times…!?”
Lando Norris: “Step Brothers”
Daniel Ricciardo: “Friday Night Lights & Superstore”
Fernando Alonso: “House – you can watch any episode from whatever season, and you didn’t miss too much!”
Esteban Ocon: “South Park”
Antonio Giovinazzi: “Harry Potter”
Lance Stroll: “Hard Knocks (NFL)”
What show that everyone loves, do you secretly hate?
Nicolas Latifi: “I wouldn’t say I secretly hate it but there’s always been a lot of hype around the American version of The Office and I’ve seen an episode and I never really got into it. Maybe if I watched more than one episode, maybe I’d like it!”
Mick Schumacher: “Money Heist”
Pierre Gasly: “There are no series I hate; I don’t have enough time to spend watching shows I don’t enjoy!”
Lando Norris: “Oh, what is all that monsters and dragons in? Game of Thrones! Yes, terrible, don’t know why anyone would watch that”
Daniel Ricciardo: “Love Island”
Fernando Alonso: “I don’t hate any shows in particular but I’ve never watched House of Cards or Game of Thrones. I’ve never watched any of those and I am not curious to watch them either. It doesn’t attract me too much even if they are very popular.”
Esteban Ocon: “Casa de Papel (Money Heist). I never watched an Episode.”
Lance Stroll: “Love Island”
If you could be one character from a TV show or movie, who would it be?
George Russell: “I guess James Bond!”
Nicolas Latifi: “I’m going to say Harvey Specter from Suits. What a boss!”
Nikita Mazepin: “Jason Statham – he’s cool.”
Mick Schumacher: “The Ferrari at the end of Cars 1!”
Sergio Perez: “Tom Cruise!”
Pierre Gasly: “Harry Potter, because I like magic”
Yuki Tsunoda: “Ted!”
Lando Norris: “Batman!”
Daniel Ricciardo: “Speaking about Friday Night Lights. It would probably be Riggins. Yeah, he is just a good-looking cat like me, can knock back a beer! And movie …. anything that Denzel plays. He is like the one guy I would confidently be starstruck by.”
Esteban Ocon: “Iron Man. Because you can fly with the suit. It’s an awesome character and you can also relate to him because he is a normal human being. But he thinks out of the box, and he creates stuff that is technology-based and that is what we are working on in F1 too.”
Kimi Räikkönen: “Rambo!”
Antonio Giovinazzi: “Rocky Balboa”
Lance Stroll: “Adam Sandler in any movie!”
Charles Leclerc: “Harry Potter!”
Carlos Sainz: “The Professor from Money Heist”
Which F1 driver do you think deserves his own reality show & why?
George Russell: “It’s got to be Danny Ric! I’d definitely tune in for Keeping up with the Ricciardo’s!”
Nicolas Latifi: “I would probably say Lewis [Hamilton]. I’m sure everyone would like to see what he gets up to off the track as he leads a very busy life and has lots of different passions.”
Nikita Mazepin: “Lewis, because he does so many things outside of the track that would be interesting to see.”
Mick Schumacher: “Daniel Ricciardo because he’s a funny man.”
Sergio Perez: “I think Kimi but the old Kimi [Räikkönen]. The one from 20 years ago. He was partying hard and the stories that I have heard should really be in a film!”
Pierre Gasly: “Lewis Hamilton, I think there are lots of interesting things about his life on-and-off track.”
Yuki Tsunoda: “Daniel Ricciardo – he has the best character”
Lando Norris: “Probably … I don’t know…me, {Alex]Albon and George [Russell]. That has always been a good laugh. Me and Carlos [Sainz]…and Daniel. Daniel is a funny guy, he could probably have his own one, he likes talking as well…”
Daniel Ricciardo: “I probably will get into some form of TV at some point, whether it will be on my own accord or if I don’t put myself in there – I don’t know! There are not that many real personalities in the sport…I am a real one, y’all!”
Fernando Alonso: “Yuki [Tsunoda]. He is quite an interesting person. I would be curious to see more of him!”
Esteban Ocon: “Fernando [Alonso], he already has one!”
Kimi Räikkönen: “I was asked maybe 15 years ago to do one for MTV. Not me, I would never do it.”
Antonio Giovinazzi: “Kimi. I think it would be so funny!”
Lance Stroll: “Lewis, he’s a busy guy with lots of exciting things happening around him.”
Charles Leclerc: “Yuki because he is just such a character and really funny!”
Carlos Sainz: “Yuki, he is so funny!”
And finally…which F1 driver would survive the shortest amount of time in The Quiet Place movie?
George Russell: “Probably Lando. He’s quite rowdy for a small man!”
Nicolas Latifi: “I can be very quiet so I think I would last the longest! Probably Danny Ric, he’s a very energetic guy!”
Mick Schumacher: “I would [survive the longest]. I’m smart!”
Sergio Perez: “I think Seb [Vettel]. Seb will struggle with that one!”
Lando Norris: “Tricky one but I think Yuki [Tsunoda]. He just wouldn’t know what’s going on and he would just start shouting!”
Daniel Ricciardo: “That’s probably me. I’ll find something to say! And actually [Sebastian] Vettel. Vettel probably in all of my years in F1 has talked the most in the drivers’ briefing. I’ll be a close second. But he is also very disciplined, so I don’t know…”
Fernando Alonso: “I would say [George} Russell…he will not be quiet!”
Esteban Ocon: “That is a good movie…its awesome. Who speaks the loudest all the time? Latifi, Nicolas Latifi. He would be caught straight away.”
Lance Stroll: “George Russell!”
