Circuit of The Americas chairman Bobby Epstein says he would be able to ensure Daniel Ricciardo still has a meaningful presence at the upcoming United States Grand Prix despite having lost his race seat.
Red Bull opted to replace Ricciardo with Liam Lawson at RB for the rest of this season, effectively signaling the end of Ricciardo’s racing career in Formula 1. With COTA the next race on the calendar in late October, Epstein says Ricciardo’s popularity in North America — and specifically at the Texas event — ensures he would still be a big draw for fans simply by his presence at COTA even if he isn’t driving.
“Daniel, he may be able to have just as big of an impact out of the car as he has in it at our at our grand prix,” Epstein said. “I’m not sure that necessarily people are buying tickets to come see him race if he’s not in a competitive car, right? So if you’re coming because he’s part of the the F1 community, I think he can still be part of the F1 community in a pretty meaningful way.
“He’s really, really loved in Texas, and I think he likes it here. And so I would hope that he makes himself available more to the fans than he would otherwise be if he had an obligation in the car … I hope he’s still coming here, because we got a lot of people that would love to shake his hand or get his autograph or take a picture. Just see him around town. We’ll keep him busy.”
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Red Bull has informed Ricciardo that it would like him to remain involved with the team in an ambassadorial role, but as of yet there is no agreement about such a partnership.
Ticket sales for the grand prix at COTA started slower than in recent years but have been strengthened by the unfolding championship battle as Max Verstappen has failed to win in eight races, and Epstein doesn’t believe the addition of a third U.S. race in Las Vegas particularly hurt sales given the focus it has brought to the sport.
“It is probably a wash… in terms of our tenants, it brings some more attention to the sport, and then it competes for ticket sales to some extent, but not so much, because they’re so uniquely different events and with the timing of that race, it’s tough.
“I like it [Vegas GP], because it’s a spectacle. I think it builds the sport globally. Whether it builds it as much in the U.S. as Miami… I think Miami does more for building the U.S. audience because of the time that it’s on, but I love the spectacle of the Vegas race, and I hope more people watch it. I’d love for them to rebroadcast it in the middle of the afternoon.”