zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Formula 1 to NYC: Drop Dead
Formula 1 to NYC: Drop Dead-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:50

A photo of a Red Bull Formula 1 car lining up alongside two yellow New York City taxis.

What’s that saying about news being cyclical these days? It definitely feels that way in motorsport sometimes. If it’s not it’s . Well today, another old favorite has reared its head again: a proposed F1 race on the streets of New York City. Don’t get your hopes up: Formula 1's managers have just given that idea a firm “no.”

, New York City mayor Eric Adams offered F1’s owners Liberty Media a spot within the five boroughs to host a Formula 1 race. The proposed site wouldn’t have seen F1 racers tearing down Fifth Avenue or through Central Park. Instead, it would confine all the action to Randalls and Wards Island in the East River.

Huh, a Formula 1 grand prix on an island just off Manhattan. ?

Anyway, , it doesn’t sound like a race in the Big Apple is something Formula 1 is particularly eager to explore. Speaking at a financial event in the city, Liberty Media president and CEO Greg Maffei described putting on a race in NYC as “a fight we don’t need to have.”

A photo of the New York skyline taken from above with an orange arrow pointing to Randalls Island in the East River.

Maffei said that Mayor Adams’s administration had reached out to organizers offering the site to Liberty Media to host a Grand Prix. Currently, the island is home to various parks and sporting facilities.

Despite the kind offer from New York’s lawmakers, Maffei described the proposal as “very difficult” and “probably not our perfect venue.”

“I think the reality is street races in a place like New York are just very, very, very hard,” Maffei said, . “Las Vegas is one of the few places in the United States you could probably get a street race done, it has a different mentality.”

Maffei added, “New York is a wonderful venue, but it’s hard to see that they’re going to shut Central Park for us!”

As you might have guessed, this is in or around the Big Apple. The last attempt was in 2012 when the event went as far as earning a spot on that season’s calendar.

A photo of a Red Bull F1 car driving in New Jersey with the New York skyline in the background.

Back then, ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone wanted to run a race in New Jersey with the Manhattan skyline providing a pretty backdrop for spectators. came in 1983 when organizers eyed an event in Flushing at the site of the 1965 World’s Fair.

Neither race ever came to fruition, and feedback from Maffei today suggests that the sport’s organizers are in no rush to tackle the legislative nightmare anytime soon.

, fans still have races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas to choose from. Or, for the Canadian Grand Prix wouldn’t be out the question for fans in NYC desperate to see a race.

Via .

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Caterham F1 Team Lets 230 Of Its Employees Go
Caterham F1 Team Lets 230 Of Its Employees Go
Just after successfully their entry to the final Formula One race of the season at Abu Dhabi, Caterham quietly let its entire 230-member backroom staff go. This doesn't bode well for their continued existence in 2015, that's for sure. Per , workers at Caterham F1 have not been paid since...
Oct 27, 2026
Behold These Stunning Images From The 6 Hours of Bahrain
Behold These Stunning Images From The 6 Hours of Bahrain
Some say practice days in endurance racing have a bit more purpose than providing you with amazing wallpapers, but as long as we get car porn like this, I don't care what it is. The Bahrain International Circuit was opened just ten years ago. It's got the same grippy Graywacke...
Oct 27, 2026
Success! Caterham Will Race At Abu Dhabi After All
Success! Caterham Will Race At Abu Dhabi After All
Despite being just over $780,000 short of their of $3.7 million, the Caterham Formula One team has announced today that they will be traveling to Abu Dhabi for the final race of the season anyway. Finbarr O'Connell, a representative from the administration firm who controls Caterham's assets, mentioned today that...
Oct 27, 2026
Fernando Alonso Spotted In Porsche Garage At WEC Bahrain
Fernando Alonso Spotted In Porsche Garage At WEC Bahrain
Ferrari Formula One driver and constant Fernando Alonso showed up to watch the World Endurance Championship's 6 Hours of Bahrain. Some rumors link him to an Audi LMP1 driver. Other rumors point to an Audi F1 effort. Others still just say he's chillin' with personal friend and ex-F1 driver Mark...
Oct 27, 2026
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, Nov. 15-16, 2014
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, Nov. 15-16, 2014
Welcome to the Jalopnik , where we let you know what's going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? NASCAR and NHRA both wrap up...
Oct 27, 2026
A Hole Nearly Sends A Rally Car Flying At High Speed
A Hole Nearly Sends A Rally Car Flying At High Speed
This is what rally drivers refer to as 'a moment.' This is interdimensional human-shaped energy field Jari-Matti Latvala (who else) in his VW Polo today at Rally Wales. Or Rally GB. Or Wales Rally GB. However you want to call the super slippy, super treacherous event. The , but it's...
Oct 27, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved