American people are very patriotic, but there is no driver to get behind and support. I don't see why Formula One cannot be something America is a part of. I wouldn't say it's too European at all.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Americans are very patriotic and they want someone to support. In order to entice more fans, and to allow F1 to compete with Nascar and IndyCar, there needs to be an American driver.
Corporate America doesn't really have an interest in Formula One because there is nothing American in it at this point. It is European and all made by Europeans. Until that changes, the interest isn't going to be at the level it needs to be.
I am very proud of what we have built in Spain, because it is not a traditional Formula 1 country. I think we have found passionate fans, and built up a strong culture for the sport - and things are improving every day, with more and more people getting interested.
My goal is to be a racer, and I want to be someone who inspires Americans to watch Formula One.
Having different people come together and be on a team and win a world championship is literally, I think, the definition of being American.
I think there's a lot of deep-rooted history in England with racing. Lots of Formula One teams are based there. Formula One is obviously a huge sport over in England and Europe.
You should never get away from where the real foundation of Formula One has been, which is Europe. Of course, there is nothing wrong with the expansion to countries like Asia, China, Malaysia.
They say Formula One is a market which it can't be, obviously. Our market is independent, it's a sport.
There's something I will say: In the U.S., people are very patriotic. Their patriotism is obvious. In France, for many years, you had to fight to be patriotic. People are pushing us from loving our own country.
There are no drivers like Formula One drivers. They are engineers, in a way. They are driving manual cars one-handed at 200 miles per hour around streets in Monaco. These cars use the ultimate in technology.