When the US Grand Prix was almost gone for good.

It's 2025 U.S. Grand Prix week. Even though there are now three races on United States soil, this one seems to retain the national namesake the best. Miami GP keeps its own identity with its "Vice Beach - good vibes" aesthetic, and Vegas is just a whole other venue in a whole other world of its own. The United States Grand Prix resides in Austin, Texas.

The United States Grand Prix has, in terms of the history of the sport, only found its home in Texas recently with the first race at the, purpose built Circuit of the Americas (COTA) taking place in 2012. Before that a U.S. Grand Prix had taken place off and on since 1908. The race has been featured at some of Americas most well known and historic tracks,-Seabring in the 50's, Watkins Glen in the 60's, and makeshift street circuits in Phoenix, Dallas, and Detroit. The Vegas Grand Prix today wasn't even the first race in Sin City, with 1981 and '82 featuring the Cesar's Palace Grand Prix. The pre -Austin era USGP found its final home in 2000 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). The location made sense from an American motor sport perspective with IMS being the home of the world -famous Indy 500. However, F1 cars are not built to handle the banked oval of the super speedway-style track so an infield layout was created to host the Formula One championship.

The most infamous of the Indianapolis races took place in 2005 and would mark what would almost be the beginning of the end of F1 in the United States.

In the 2000s, Formula One's tire regulations allowed teams to select their own preferred tire manufacturer. Teams were divided between the French-based Michelin and Bridgestone out of Japan. During the practice sessions two accidents, as the result of tire failure, highlighted that the Michelin tire was not stable enough to handle the high speed transition from the banked super speedway section of the track in turn 13. Representatives from Michelin said that the tires could handle no more than 10 laps and only at reduced speeds. The rules that year stipulated no tire changes (manufacturer) could be made during the race weekend. So once a team was equipped they were stuck. This would greatly disadvantage the 7 teams on Michelin tires. Throughout the days leading up to the race, no agreement could be met between the Teams, the FIA, and the two tire companies. Some of the proposed solutions included having the race award no championship points, giving every team access to the preferred tire, and even adding a chicane to the exit of the high speed turn 13 exit.

The day of the race, the team principals got together to try and reach an agreement, but when Ferrari boss Jean Todt refused to budge F1 Director Bernie Ecclestone was quick to shut down all opposition and keep things "as is." (The politics of the Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley, FIA President, era of F1 management were about catering to the largest teams and lining the most pockets. That's story for another time.) What happened next goes down as one of the strangest moments in F1 history.

The teams all agreed to go out to the grid and line up for the start. When the lights turned green all 20 cars proceed with the the formation lap. Some cars warming tires others keeping a slow and steady pace. The entire paddock gearing up to watch the start. The cars file around the final corner to begin lining up on the grid,, The pole sitting Toyota of Jarno Trulli pulls off into the pits, and so does Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button from second and third place. The first car to actually take to the grid was Michael Schumacher's Ferrari. In total fourteen cars pulled into the pits and refused to start the race. The remaining six cars, the Ferraris, the Jordans and the Minardis, were the teams running the Bridgestone tires. Schumacher would go on to win from his inherited "pole position" in an otherwise very uneventful race.

Only six cars line up on the grid to start the race

Fans were left stunned and confused by the site of so many cars pulling off and being left with such a sparse starting grid. Understandably upset, fans expressed their displeasure by littering the track and concourse with beer and trash. These events cast a shadow over the future of the sport in America. Bernie Ecclestone in a pre-race interview with Martin Brundle spoke to the future of the Formula One in America describing it as "not good..." (Quick aside, the Martin Brundle grid walk for this race has to be one of the greatest of all time, at one point asking Bernie Ecclestone's wife to slap some sense into him. Video linked below).

The following year showed a record low attendance despite Michelin purchasing 20,000 tickets to be distributed to fans from the 2005 race. This spelled the beginning of the (temporary) end for Formula One racing in America. Ecclestone would later remark that there was no plan to return America and even vowing to "never return to Indianapolis." The final race at Indy would be 2008 to continued declining viewers and fans.

Now that COTA has become the home venue for Formula One in the U.S., and with "Drive to Survive" engaging a new generation of fans, the sport is experiencing a resurgence in the states. With Formula One's journey from uncertainty to cultural phenomenon, F1's presence in American sports could be built to last.

As Promised the renowned Martin Brundle before the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix.