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The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix is now the most-viewed European Formula 1 race ever in the United States.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc s just 31 points behind Championship leader Max Verstappen in the Standings following his win at the Monaco Grand Prix (Image Credit: @F1 on X)Interest in F1 on the American continent has flourished in the 2020s following the release of Netflix’s Drive to Survive. The series has opened many a fan’s eyes to the human side of the high-adrenaline sport as it entered its sixth season earlier this year.
Add to this the fact that the 2024 Formula One World Championship has been the closest-fought season so far since 2021, more people are watching the races on television than ever before.
This is certainly the case in the USA, where a record-breaking 3.1 million citizens tuned in to ESPN to watch McLaren’s Lando Norris cross the finish line first to win this year’s Miami Grand Prix.
Now, the most recent Monaco Grand Prix has become the most-watched European F1 event in US television history, drawing an average viewership figure of 1.965 million, peaking at 2.3 million as per the ESPN Press Room. This is also the third highest figure for any F1 race in the country, behind the 2024 and 2022 editions of the aforementioned Miami round.
People want to see close racing
After the incredible drama and tensions surrounding the 2021 F1 season, global engagement with the sport took a downturn in 2022 and 2023 as Oracle Red Bull Racing consolidated their domination in both Championships.
The outlook appears different this year however, as the Milton Keynes-based outfit only hold a narrow lead over Scuderia Ferrari in the Standings after Charles Leclerc’s commanding home race victory around the streets of Monaco.
This has directly resulted in more people watching the races. Despite the lack of overtakes and a 45-minute delay in the race restart following a major three-car pileup, it seems fans are more likely to engage when the outcome of a race is more difficult to predict.
With Red Bull driver Max Verstappen complaining of an unpredictable car and the likes of Ferrari and McLaren upping their game, a three-way fight for ultimate glory could already be set in stone for the rest of the 2024 campaign.
F1 returns to North America for the Canadian Grand Prix, commencing on Sunday 9 June at 19:00 BST (14:00 local time).
Feature Image Credit: @F1 on X