Zhou Guanyu completed a distant 14th in final yr’s Chinese language Grand Prix, however System 1 highlighted his achievement as if he’d received the championship.
The Sauber driver was given a devoted spot on the grid to park on after the race so he might have a good time together with his residence followers. The justification for this peculiar second was that Zhou had simply turn into the primary of China’s 1.4 billion residents to compete in an F1 race earlier than their residence crowd.
Certainly somebody at F1 reckoned there was a great likelihood it could even be the final residence look for a Chinese language driver for a number of years. Zhou hadn’t set the world alight in his earlier two seasons at Sauber, and he duly misplaced his drive on the finish of the yr.
That was one half of a double blow for Liberty Media. China is considered one of two nations it’s particularly eager to do enterprise in, however each it and the opposite – America – misplaced their representatives on the grid throughout final yr.
When final season started, the presence of Zhou and Logan Sargeant ensured Liberty’s two precedence markets every had a face on the grid. That’s not the case, and furthermore, F1’s 2025 grid has turn into conspicuously much less numerous by way of nationalities throughout the low season.
In fact the form of long-term, devoted F1 followers who learn RaceFans are much less prone to be drawn to the game by shared nationality with a driver or staff. But it surely does assist pull new viewers in, and that’s Liberty’s precedence.
Merely put, extra nationalities represented on the grid means extra apparent factors of contact for potential new followers. However whereas 15 totally different international locations had been represented on the grid initially of final yr, that has fallen to 13 this season, the bottom in 5 years.
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Arguably, that determine may very well be considered even decrease. 4 drivers have British licences however Alexander Albon, who raced underneath a Thai licence, has twin Thai-British nationality, was born in London and schooled in Britain. Classifying him as British would make this the least numerous grid initially of a season since 2013.
How has the UK, residence to 68.3 million folks, come to account for one-quarter of the F1 grid? That is clearly not only a matter of driving potential, but additionally the superior alternatives obtainable for aspiring racing drivers in Britain. As 70% of present F1 groups have a minimum of a part of their base in Britain, and English is the paddock’s lingua franca, the pathway into F1 is undoubtedly smoother for British abilities than these exterior.
Nonetheless, it bears stating that Britain’s latest F1 driver, Oliver Bearman, arrived through Ferrari. He joins Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and George Russell (plus Albon, relying on the way you slice it). Others are ready within the wings, notably Purple Bull junior Arvid Lindblad and Williams’ Luke Browning, each of whom will race in System 2 this yr.
Advertising apart, it wouldn’t matter if F1’s 20 seats all went to drivers from the identical nation, or 20 totally different nations. What issues most is how nicely F1’s grid measures as much as the perfect of containing the 20 greatest drivers on the grid. How far which may be the case will at all times be a bone of rivalry.
Realistically, a discipline of 20 automobiles are by no means going to precisely characterize nearly 200 international locations. But it surely’s putting that whereas the championship more and more reaches out to audiences past Europe, its rivals stay predominantly drawn from there.
However taking all that into consideration, if we take it as learn that the most effective drivers on the earth are prone to be scattered throughout it, it’s noteworthy that the combo of nations represented by F1 has shrunk this yr. The departures of Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas go away Mexico, Denmark and Finland respectively with out illustration. The latter doesn’t have a driver within the discipline for the season-opener for the primary time since 1989, throughout which period it has produced champions equivalent to Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen.
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Nonetheless, two international locations with storied F1 histories which have been with out common rivals in recent times, return this yr. Italy’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli debuts for Mercedes and Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto is considered one of Zhou’s replacements at Sauber.
Liberty Media have been fast to pounce on alternatives to entry new markets by additions to the grid. Final yr’s momentary arrival of Franco Colapinto, the primary Argentinian driver for greater than 20 years, prompted a renewal of curiosity in F1 there, and the sequence duly capitalised, saying its official Exhibition will go to Buenos Aires subsequent month.
Little doubt Liberty would like F1’s mixture of driver nationalities to look extra just like the higher finish of the Olympic medal desk. However it might face an extended wait till it may level to rivals from each the USA and China once more.
There’s a lack of Chinese language names within the higher echelons of F1’s feeder sequence, although there are just a few within the decrease ranges. Zhou due to this fact stays F1’s greatest likelihood for Chinese language illustration within the short-to-medium time period, although he’s but to announce his 2025 plans.
There are just a few extra American names working their approach up by the degrees. However as at all times it stays to be seen whether or not any alternatives will seem for them. F2 driver Jak Crawford is a part of Aston Martin’s younger driver programme – however so is Felipe Drugovich, who received that title three years in the past and has been on the sidelines ever since.
Liberty Media’s greatest likelihood of getting an American driver on the grid once more could due to this fact relaxation on a change it beforehand resisted. This time final yr FOM resisted stress from the FIA to permit an eleventh staff to enter, however since then it has relented, and US model Cadillac seems set to realize admission subsequent yr.
Mario Andretti, America’s final F1 champion who’s now serving as marketing consultant to Cadillac’s operation, named final yr’s IndyCar runner-up Colton Herta as a number one driver into account for a seat. Liberty Media could due to this fact lastly see an upside to their grudging acquiescence.
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