DRIVE TO WIN

FORGET MERELY SURVIVING. FORMULA 1 CEO STEFANO DOMENICALI'S GOAL IS TO CAPTURE THE HEARTS, MINDS AND WALLETS OF AMERICA

- PAUL RHODES

DUTCH DRIVER MAX VERSTAPPEN MAY HAVE claimed victory at the Miami Grand Prix on May 7, but it was Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali who was the real winner. The second running of the race was the first of three grand prix in America this racing season the most held on U.S. soil in nearly 40 years in a resurgence led by the Italian executive and the series' Colorado-based owner, Liberty Media.

Through clever marketing via social media and the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, plus enough youth-friendly "woke" ideology to ruffle the feathers of the Miami Grand Prix's host state governor, Ron DeSantis, Formula 1 is capturing the imagination of a new generation of American fans. With a seemingly glamorous, celeb-filled international jet set vibe and the buckets of cash that come with it- reigning champion Verstappen is said to be raking in $55 million to drive his Red Bull Honda this season-it is not hard to see how Formula 1 has turned more than a few young heads in the past few years.

"This is an incredible opportunity to make sure that the new fans watching for the first time are captured by us," Domenicali told Newsweek before the Miami race. "Explaining the sporting excitement that is on the track, explaining the incredible experience that we want to give to the fans that are attending the races, and explaining the passion and the technology that is behind the scene of Formula 1 and making sure that we give to our new American audience all the elements for them to choose. We want to make sure that they have everything [so] they're going to choose Formula 1, for bigger growth for us in this incredible country."