Chicago Councillor claims it is unlikely F1 would race in the city despite holding early talks

The addition of a Chicago GP to the F1 calendar seems far-fetched for now.

Chicago Councillor claims it is unlikely F1 would race in the city despite holding early talks

Las Vegas GP grid start (via sports.ru).

Formula 1 has been maximizing American involvement in the sport due to its major benefits. Hence, amidst the preparations for the 2024 season, rumors flooded the paddock about a potential fourth American race in Chicago with F1 lodging trademarks for the same. However, the Councillor of the ‘Windy City’ has broken his silence over the status quo.

Councillor Brian Hopkins pointed out that Formula 1 usually requires at least a ten-year contract in the same city to successfully host a race event. However, Hopkins further added that the talks didn’t go any further than this due to the sport’s non-negotiable requirement of a ten-year commitment, something which Chicago was unwilling to agree.

I have been told that F1 usually requires a minimum contract of 10 years. And it seems that this is not negotiable. The conversation with the city did not go much beyond that.
Hopkins told Chicago.suntimes.com.
YouTube video

Additionally, Hopkins recalled the city’s recent foray into NASCAR, where they had to close Grant Park (the location of the NASCAR race) for multiple weeks. The 63-year-old insisted that merely welding sewer lids and smoothing potholes wouldn’t work with a sport like Formula 1. Hence, the existence of a Chicago GP is far-fetched for a long time soon, unless the city is ready to actively facilitate F1’s requirement.

FS Video
What we did with the Nascar, welding sewer lids and smoothing potholes and calling it a track, doesn't work with the F1. It is more complicated and, therefore, more expensive.

Hosting NASCAR in Chicago turned out to be problematic for the state

The NASCAR Chicago Street race turned out to be a nightmare for the city’s authorities and the residents last year. However, despite the rains during the session, the event was a grand success with record fan attendance and great television viewers. Hence, scrapping the idea of a Chicago GP might not be in the best interest of F1’s America-entric plans.

The NASCAR event in Chicago caused multiple problems
A picture from the NASCAR weekend in Chicago (via Bloomberg).

Assembling and dismantling the circuit area of the race caused multiple delays along the way. Hence, the majority of the residents protested against this issue and called for better management. Additionally, the racing association had to pay the city an additional sum of $2 million due to the issues caused during the race.

Hence, Chicao GP isn’t going to happen anytime soon in Formula 1. Additionally, the 24-race calendar has already faced a lot of backlash due to tiring the drivers. Madrid replacing the Circuit de Barcelona has already been confirmed by F1 recently. As a result, the Chicago GP’s situation would have to wait for some time before successfully achieving a race in the city.

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