Liberty Media’s purchase of Formula 1 begins a transformative process for the sport. Bernie Eccelstone is gone. Races are already dropping off the calendar (Silverstone) and Liberty Media continues to stir the pot suggesting a 25-race Championship is in consideration. Paramount to Liberty Media’s goals is their desire to bring an additional race stateside. With rumors swirling in forums, blogs, and podcasts that make up the F1 community, let’s see if we can sift through the distortion and produce a clearer picture of the most likely US cities and tracks to host an additional race.

1. Long Beach, California

California love. Along one of the most beautiful Marinas in the country, the streets of Long Beach have played host to F1 races in the past. Dubbed the “United States Grand Prix West,” the city hosted F1 from 1976-1983 before switching to host the CART series in 1984. With its proximity to Los Angeles, palm tree lined streets, and beautiful Ocean landscape, the Long Beach track pairs well with the glamour of F1.

Now it appears the city is keen to, at the very least, evaluate whether a switch back to F1 is in the right move. Shortly before this year’s IndyCar event at Long Beach, “The Roar by the Shore,” as it is nicknamed, the Long Beach City Council hired a third-party to evaluate the feasibility of hosting an F1 race. The development led many, including NBC’s own Will Buxton to speculate on the possibilities.

Since then, there have been rumors, and certain public officials have gone on record pushing the idea of switching to F1 from IndyCar. Nothing concrete has been determined, but it is undeniable people in positions of power want to bring F1 back to Long Beach.

The prospect of a stop in Long Beach for F1 seems an attractive possibility, but it would take a substantial commitment and risk by the city that has hosted IndyCar and IMSA races with a good deal of success for decades.

LIKELIHOOD RATING: 6/10

2. NEW YORK CITY

A race in New York has stood firmly in the rumor mill since its announcement on the 2013 provisional calendar. Bernie Eccelstone, at the time, appeared committed to the event. Sebastian Vettel demoed the track in a Red Bull-Renault in 2012 likening the track to Monaco.

The “Port Imperial Street Circuit,” is in fact located in Weehawken New Jersey across the Hudson River from the Manhattan skyline. Twice delayed, the 2013 race was eventually cancelled with funding cited as the culprit.

Liberty Media executives have expressed interest in revisiting New York as a host, but the Weehawken mayor as recently as April of this year stated he has not been approached by anyone in F1 and explained the barriers for the Port Imperial Street Circuit becoming a reality still exist.

An added factor working against a race in the New York area is its proximity to Montreal, which is just across the border. Liberty Media no doubt want to spread the exposure of F1 across North America. Does having two races within a few hundred miles of each other really achieve this goal?

New York seems to be the most frequently named host for a new Grand Prix in the US, but it also seems the most difficult to pull off logistically, and perhaps the least likely. Pending any major developments, categorize this one as unlikely.

LIKELIHOOD RATING: 3/10

3. Indianapolis

The host of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” Indianapolis was the last track prior to The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) to host a USGP. Slightly revised from the original GP circuit, the infield track at the Speedway now plays host to an IndyCar race in the weeks prior to the 500-mile oval race.

As the only other FIA rated Grade 1 circuit in the US, aside from COTA, the GP circuit at Indy has a major barrier of entry out of its way. The track is eligible to host a Grand Prix having already met the FIA's grade 1 requirements. However, the Speedway’s owners and officials do not appear to be interested in hosting another F1 race.

Who can forget the disaster at the 2005 race where fans were left with only six cars competing after the safety concerns over Michelin tire blowouts? The debacle has left a sour taste in the mouths of track officials, and it appears their palate has yet to be cleansed.

Despite being the best positioned for hosting a second US round, no significant evidence of this becoming a reality can be seen. The track made the news last year briefly when talks of hosting the FIA’s WEC series for an endurance race surfaced. But the talks shortly fizzled and COTA continues to be the US host for the WEC in the foreseeable future.

Perhaps the GP Circuit at Indy would be best suited as an alternating race if a US street circuit is added to the calendar, or as a fallback if another venue cannot be found. It seems as if this is how Liberty Media and Indy track officials are treating the prospect of F1 making its return to the Brickyard.

LIKELIHOOD RATING: 5/10

4. LAS VEGAS

Along with Abu Dhabi and Monaco, no city in the world encompasses the excess and glamour of F1 quite like the Las Vegas strip. Like Long Beach and Indianapolis, the traveling F1 circus has visited the pop-up desert city already. Well before Las Vegas became the city it is today, F1 raced in the parking lot of Caesars Palace in 1981 and 1982. A prospect that is laughable today.

Oft rumored as a possible destination for an F1 race, the outlook of a Grand Prix in Sin City appears devilishly realistic. Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has gone on record saying, “I particularly like the idea of a night race in Las Vegas.”

In June of last year, the BBC reported a conglomerate of Chinese investors had agreed in principle to pledge $130m to bring an F1 race to the Las Vegas strip. Renowned course designer Hermann Tilke is said to have designed a layout incorporating a portion of the strip which would not impact any casino operations.

With tourists traveling to eagerly empty their wallets year-round in Las Vegas, attendance for the event would not be an issue. Without a doubt, the event would draw major attention from the US market and would best fit the “Super Bowl,” atmosphere Liberty Media is quoted as striving to create at each stop on the F1 calendar.

With nightly temperature’s regularly around 90° F (32° C) from May to September, the race would have to be scheduled at either end of the calendar. The cities lights could provide a spectacular opening round similar to what Abu Dhabi gives at the close of the season.

Las Vegas has a lot of factors working in its favor in becoming the next F1 venue in the United States. But there is always the chance Vegas is a red herring used to motivate a more traditional venue to commit the money and resources for hosting a race. For now, this is the odds on favorite and where the sharps are stacking their chips when placing their bets on next Grand Prix location with the US.

LIKELIHOOD RATING: 8/10

5. The Field

There is an outside shot a wild card could be the next to host F1. Certainly, there are plenty of existing tracks whose layouts would benefit the F1 calendar. Road America and Laguna Seca come to mind.

A street circuit in Miami has been mentioned by Liberty Media as being a concept of a race they would like to see in F1. No evidence of an effort to seriously explore the Miami option has been reported.

Watkins Glen has played host to the race before and many would be happy to see the Glen F1 return. The track would require significant upgrades and, as it already has a stable presence in NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA, there would be little incentive in a financial sense of such a project.

And then there are the whispers coming from California. While still in power, Eccelstone on more than one occasion hinted at interest in bringing a race to California (he specifically said not Long Beach) as a second Grand Prix in the US. The unnamed track in an unspecified location is rumored to be a purpose-built circuit catering to the needs and requirements of F1.



Perhaps the purpose behind all the smoke surrounding the other venues is to light the fire under the interested parties in the mystery Californian circuit.

LIKELIHOOD RATING: 4/10

One thing is for sure, the appetite for F1 in the US is ripe for Liberty Media’s picking.