Formula 1 is set to host a special fan festival on the streets of Chicago, Illinois in June as championship owner Liberty Media aims to increase the popularity of the sport in the United States.
Organizers of the event have confirmed that the F1 fan festival will be free to attend and locals will have the chance to see a number of Formula 1 cars up-close-and-personal. There will also be a number of demo runs performed by the F1 cars, most of which we expect will come from the naturally-aspirated V8 engine era when they actually sounded good (unlike the mundane current turbo V6s).
Those in attendance will also be able to enjoy the live qualifying broadcast of the Canadian Grand Prix that will be taking place in nearby Montreal. American band Judah & the Lion will also be performing.
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“Following the huge success of the Shanghai festival, we are excited to be heading to Chicago — a city known to hold the most enthusiastic of sports fans,” F1’s managing director of commercial operations Sean Bratches said. “We are looking forward to taking F1 to the US and immersing fans in the race day atmosphere and showing the Windy City all that F1 has to offer.”
From the moment American media giant Liberty Media purchased the commercial rights to Formula 1, it has been looking to boost audience numbers not just from around the world but from the United States in particular. Liberty is particularly keen to add a second U.S. Grand Prix to the calendar alongside the current race held in Austin, Texas.