Formula 1 is considering launching an American-based feeder series for the sport, similar to that seen in Europe with the extremely popular GP2 and GP3 Series. In the past seven years, GP2 and GP3 have produced some of F1’s biggest stars including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez.
However, despite a brief series based in Asia named GP2 Asia, direct feeder series to Formula 1 have remained European-based, with the majority of the grid consisting of European drivers. Only a handful of drivers from outside Europe have shone in both GP2 and GP3, including the likes of Pastor Maldonado, Sergio Perez and Mitch Evans. However, this could all change in the near future, with a feeder series similar to GP2 and GP3 currently being planned for America.
According to ESPN, this would see races scheduled across the likes of Canada, the United States and Brazil with a hope of one day discovering a new F1 star from that part of the world. Although there has been many American drivers throughout the history of F1, Mario Andretti remains the last American driver to win an F1 race back in 1978 with Lotus. With Formula 1 returning to the U.S. for the first time since 2007 this weekend, the sport is eager to cement itself within the nation alongside popular national series’ such as NASCAR and IndyCar.
If such a feeder series finally came to fruition, it would have to battle for supremacy alongside other American feeder categories such as IndyCar’s IndyLights Series and NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. Although the series would be able to support the Canadian, United States and Brazilian Grands Prix, it remains to seen whether or not such a category could sustain itself when F1 races in Europe and Asia.
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