The mayor of New York offers a Liberty site for the Formula 1 race

But Maffei quickly downplayed the chances of adding a fourth U.S. competition along with Austin, Miami and Las Vegas, saying the attempt to race in the Big Apple was “a fight we don’t need.”

Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has been trying for years to get a race in or near New York. In 2011, promoter Leo Hinder singled out a site in Port Imperial, New Jersey with the city skyline as a backdrop.

The race was included in the Formula 1 calendar for 2013, and work to prepare the site began before the project collapsed due to lack of funding.

After Liberty took over running the business in Formula One in 2017, Liberty gave priority to adding racing to “destination” locations in the US. While the company has always been interested in New York, and even looked at New Jersey, the Miami and Las Vegas projects have borne fruit first.

Speaking at a financial event in New York on Thursday, the moderator asked Maffei if a Grand Prix was planned in the city.

Mafi revealed that Mayor Adams, who was sworn in on Jan. 1, offered territory on Randalls and Words Island, an area mostly of parks and sports grounds across the Harlem River northeast of Manhattan. However, he made it clear that the site is not considered by Freedom as suitable.

“The Eric Adams administration has asked for it,” Maffei said. – I think it’s very difficult. Their offer, Randalls Island, is probably not our ideal place.

“You know, 15-20 years ago a lot of time and money was spent here [sic]including Leo Hindery, one of my predecessors who is trying to build it in Hoboken.

“I think in reality street racing in a place like New York is just really, really, really hard. Las Vegas is one of the few places in the United States where street racing could probably be held, in its different mentality.

“New York is a great venue, but it’s hard to understand that they’re going to close Central Park for us!”

When the moderator said he would like to see the race in New York, Maffei replied, “I suspect there are a few other groups that may or may not be, so we probably don’t need to fight.”

Mafi, meanwhile, insisted that the first race in Miami was a great success, and acknowledged that there are challenges the organization needs to address in 2023.

“I think overall a great success, the demand has been insane,” he said. “The number of people who told me it was a sporting event they ever went to is all that.

“Were there any problems with logistics during the first race? [For example] drivers don’t like everything on the track, which is not unusual, or the hospitality and safety of the Paddock Club. Let’s see. There is something to work on.

“I think so [Miami] The dolphins, our partners there, generally worked great. I think they are very aware of the problems or issues that have arisen, but they can be fixed.

“But the television experience, the excitement, the overall tone in Miami was extremely positive. I mean, insanely good. And I don’t think it’s going to go away. So I think you’re working on the challenges of the first year and it’s going to be a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful event. ”

As for Miami promoter Tom Garfinkel’s recognition that the first race brought losses, Mafi said: “I think it will be very profitable for the Dolphins. I mean their P&L [profit and loss] and our P&L is a little different.

“But they have a 10-year contract. I think they will make a lot of money. “