An American fighting for the F1 title would be “massive”

The F1 2022 schedule includes two races in America for the first time since 1984, with a new event in Miami adding the lap at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, TX, which was first held in 2012.

However, there are currently no US drivers on the F1 starting field. Alexander Rossi was the last American to contest a Grand Prix in 2015, while the last full-time American driver in F1 from 2006 to 2007 was Scott Speed. Michael Andretti, who recently withdrew his attempt to buy the Alfa Romeo / Sauber team, had planned to transfer Colton Herta from his IndyCar team to F1, but the deal fell through last month.

Ex-Ferrari and ex-McLaren driver Johansson told Motorsport.tv’s Juliana Chiovitti that he believes a US presence on the Grand Prix grid would help, but only if he or she is prominent.

“That would certainly help a lot,” said the 65-year-old Swede, “but it has to be a good one. You can’t just have someone at the back of the grid.

“If someone actually fights for the championship, I think it will be massive.

“But I think Liberty did a great job. I think they finally cracked the code here in America with this Netflix show [Drive to Survive]. I don’t know about you, but I run into people almost every day now who are “experts” on Formula 1 after watching Netflix – which is great!

“COTA had the largest crowd ever, perhaps the largest crowd of any Formula 1 race.”

Johansson also praised Indy auto racing, which he competed in from 1992 to ’96. As manager of six-time champion Scott Dixon, race winner Felix Rosenqvist, and aspiring Road To Indy star Rasmus Lindh, he remains a keen observer and regular participant in the NTT IndyCar Series races.

“I’m a big fan of IndyCar because the competition rules are as good as possible, I think,” he commented. “The race is so close and nobody really has that much advantage so it’s the one who gets it right that day. Literally anyone can win on a given day – you roll the strategy and the race just falls into your lap, or it can be the other way around, of course.

“That’s what I love about IndyCar, it’s so competitive and, to be honest, it’s really hard to predict.

“But the cream always rises. Scott had a bad year last year, but I know he’s extremely hungry, as always, and incredibly motivated. He will come back and be in good shape.

“Felix as well. He had a terrible start to the year, but he figured out the car during the year and I think there have been some changes in the team too. So I think he’s incredibly motivated too.

“But there are still 25 really good guys left, so anything can happen.”

Stefan Johansson watched over one of his drivers, Dixon, in St. Pete last year.

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images