Donald Trump recruited by F1 outcast for failed bid for new USA race | F1 | Sport

Flavio Briatore has revealed he enlisted the help of Donald Trump in a bid to bring Formula 1 to the east coast of the United States. After a period without a race in the USA, F1 returned to the country in 2012 with the new United States Grand Prix at a purpose-build circuit in Austin, Texas.

But that was not the only plan seriously explored as F1, back then still run by Bernie Ecclestone, planned a second US race in New Jersey. Its debut was initially pencilled in for the following year and Red Bull even completed a showrun on the site of the proposed waterfront circuit, in an area of New Jersey chosen to take advantage of the Manhattan skyline.

But it never happened and, although a second attempt was made to put on the New Jersey race in 2014, that also fell through and the Grand Prix was eventually abandoned. Speaking to The Race, Alpine team boss Briatore revealed he was the one behind the idea along with Trump, who he knew because they were both hosts of separate international versions of TV show The Apprentice.

“Donald had no idea as well about Formula 1 – but he’s a great promoter,” the Italian said. “At the time he promoted boxing, he promoted everything in Vegas… And I made Donald talk with Bernie. I was in the office of Donald. We put in [a] video with Bernie to [find], what was the best place in New York to do the race.”

This was long before Trump became US president, while Briatore also spent many years out of F1 after being banned for his role in the 2008 ‘Crashgate’ scandal, before successfully challenging that punishment in court. Despite the hurdles, they got close to making a race happen after Trump pitched New Jersey as the host state rather than New York.

Briatore added: “Donald [told] us New York is very difficult for a million reasons, but New Jersey was the place, so Bernie started negotiating Jersey with two or three different people. But we never succeeded, because Formula 1 was not… considered something special. You talk about… NASCAR, you talk about IndyCar, completely different business. And Formula 1 was not [valued] at all.”

While the New Jersey plan failed, F1 has been able to capitalise on its hugely increased popularity stateside by introducing two more events in Miami and Las Vegas. The former in particular has been a financial success while the latter has had some teething problems, but F1 has invested heavily to make it the sport’s modern-day flagship event.

“Now, you go to America, you go to Miami, 500,000 people [attend],” added Briatore. “You go to Austin, full, you go to Vegas. You see, Formula 1 is changing dramatically. You see, every race is sold out, sold out, raining [or] not raining.

“What has changed is really the commercial side. Liberty [Media], which bought the commercial rights in 2017] is much more open. Bernie was very strong, very restrictive in the business. Liberty opened the commercial side, opened completely. Marketing opened completely. And, Liberty is working with the team in [a] very good partnership, if you want.”