Ricciardo Eyed as Austin’s Future F1 Ambassador

Max Verstappen’s recent losses boost Austin ticket sales, while Daniel Ricciardo emerges as a potential ambassador for the United States F1 Grand Prix.

The stands will be packed in Austin for the upcoming F1 Grand Prix!

Since 2012, the Texas race has established itself as a popular and festive event, featuring numerous concerts.

And the atmosphere will be lively once again this year. Eminem is even scheduled to perform on Saturday night.

However, the Circuit of the Americas has come a long way. As its promoter Bobby Epstein admits, ticket sales were sluggish… until Max Verstappen stopped winning every Grand Prix (since Spain). Since the Red Bull driver ceased dominating, sales have surged.

“Our ticket sales really took off when Max stopped winning, and the competition heated up. Fans are paying attention, and I think it’s exciting to see the season taking the turn it has.”

“We expect the crowd to be large again, likely similar to the past two years. I believe whatever the attendance record is for a ‘sprint’ race on a Saturday, we should shatter it, because Eminem has surpassed Taylor Swift [who performed in 2016]. We’ve expanded the lawn area [for the audience] to accommodate nearly 100,000 people for the concert. So, 130,000 to 150,000 people will be present for the sprint race on Saturday.”

College football game, Eminem concert… the Saturday schedule for fans will indeed be packed.

“If the football game kicks off in the evening, you can catch Eminem for over an hour, then watch the second half of the football game, which we know some people plan to do.”

“I know many plan to attend the concert and watch the second half of the football game.”

No competition between Austin and Las Vegas?

Has the Las Vegas Grand Prix had any negative impact on sales, according to Epstein? If it took the end of Max Verstappen’s dominance to boost ticket sales, isn’t that a worrying sign for the future?

“The impact is probably neutral in terms of attendance. Las Vegas draws a bit more attention to the sport and competes with ticket sales to some extent, but not much, because they are very different events, and the timing of this race makes it difficult.”

“I like Las Vegas because it’s a spectacle and helps grow the sport globally. I think Miami does more to grow the American audience because of the timing of the race, but I enjoy the Vegas show and hope more people will tune in. I don’t think it’s had much of an impact on Austin.”

Daniel Ricciardo, a future Austin ambassador?

Could ticket sales also suffer in the future due to Daniel Ricciardo’s absence? The Australian was very, very popular in the U.S.

That’s why Epstein is open to involving him in future Grands Prix in Austin in some way!

“Daniel could have as much impact off the track as he did in a Grand Prix. I’m not sure people are buying tickets to see him race if he’s not in a competitive car, right? So, if you’re coming because he’s part of the F1 community… I think he can still be a significant part of that community.”

“Daniel is very, very loved in Texas, and I think he enjoys being here. I hope he’ll make himself more available to fans than he would if he had obligations in the car… I hope he continues to come here because there are many people who’d love to shake his hand, get an autograph, or take a picture. You just have to see him around town. We’ll keep him busy.”