Americans flocked to Formula One at the height of the pandemic, when a Netflix docuseries showcased the series as the sexiest thing in sports. The new audience was rewarded by an epic 2021 title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. But Verstappen has won 21 of 31 races since and Red Bull has totally dominated the series. Verstappen's 9.5-second win over Fernando Alonso in Canada on Sunday was the closest race so far this season — and that's not going to hold the attention of a fickle American audience very long.
Blame the race presenter, very rarely is a mid field battle shown except in replay. And for the most part, passes occur at the end of a DRS zone; wheel to wheel is rare and the exception to the rule. The homologation has created a Frankenstein’s monster of a car that is simply too big to create superb racing battles.
Smaller car, cold tires, and two stop minimum and suddenly F1 will not only be the Pinnacle of racing technology but we’d get an actual measure of who’s really the best drivers in the paddock.