Formula 1’s surge in popularity in the U.S. has been undeniably driven by several factors: Colorado-based Freedom Media’s role as the sport’s business rights holder, three races on American soil, a U.S.-flagged team—soon to be joined by Cadillac—and, thanks to Netflix, a general rise in fan awareness. Yet, despite all this momentum, the elusive goal of establishing a consistent American driver presence in F1 remains a challenge.
Logan Sargeant’s brief stint, finishing a full season before being let go halfway through last year, follows a history of short-lived appearances by American drivers. Alexander Rossi’s five-race cameo in 2015 and Scott Speed’s one-and-a-half-year run with Red Bull’s Toro Rosso team in 2006 and 2007 highlight the rarity of U.S. drivers in the F1 grid.
“I love that more people here know what F1 is now,” Speed tells RACER. “When I did it, it was so unknown. Coming back to America after racing in F1 and then transitioning to NASCAR, no one really knew who I was, which was actually great. I enjoyed the anonymity and starting fresh.”
Having raced at the top levels of both F1 and NASCAR, Speed knows just how tough it is to reach the pinnacle of motorsport. Today, he runs an elite performance consultancy, alongside fellow Red Bull NASCAR alum Josh Wise, preparing the next generation of professional racers. While F1 has gained significant traction in the U.S., the traditional pathway for young American drivers often leads to NASCAR rather than F1, and for good reason.
“For a 14- or 15-year-old kid coming out of go-karts, the best chance to build a career in racing is in stock car racing in America,” says Speed. “The NASCAR path is well-established, and you don’t need millions of dollars to make it. We’ve worked with kids like Connor Zilisch, and it’s clear that if you have the talent and the drive, you can make it in NASCAR without needing a fortune behind you.”
However, Speed is firm in his belief that it’s still possible for an American to make it in F1. “I’m a big believer that anything you want to do, you can do,” he insists. “If you really wanted to make it to Formula 1, you’d find a way. I made it with essentially zero U.S. dollars backing my racing career, so I know it’s possible. But the reality is, NASCAR is just more appealing here. It’s still the bigger sport in the U.S., and F1 doesn’t carry the same weight as stock car racing.”
As Cadillac prepares to join the grid next year, there’s been a lot of talk about the possibility of an American driver being part of the team. IndyCar’s Colton Herta is often mentioned as a potential candidate, but Speed is more curious about the long-term development of a U.S. driver pipeline. “I’m really interested in how that process might look in the future, and hopefully, I can get involved and help out,” Speed says. “But right now, my focus is on preparing kids for NASCAR, and hopefully down the road, I can help bring some of them along that F1 path too.”
Reflecting on his own rise through Red Bull’s driver program in the 2000s, Speed thinks a similar initiative could boost American talent in European open-wheel racing. “A lot of it comes down to building partnerships, like Red Bull did with its driver search program. There’s plenty of potential to make it happen, I just haven’t had my hands on it yet.”
One of the biggest differences between Speed’s F1 era and today is the rise of social media and Netflix’s Drive to Survive, both of which have helped elevate F1’s profile. Speed, however, is glad he didn’t have to navigate the modern media landscape. “I’m so grateful I didn’t have to deal with social media back then,” he admits. “It’s a huge challenge these days. The lack of privacy and constant judgment online is something that goes underappreciated.”
As much as the focus remains on getting an American driver into F1, the new Cadillac team could provide opportunities in other areas as well. With its operation based in the U.S., far from the traditional F1 hub in the U.K., Speed sees the potential for growth in a unique way. “It’s going to be tough, but not impossible,” he says. “NASCAR teams are based here, in Mooresville and Concord, and that creates a strong local racing culture. Ferrari’s done alright in Italy, so it’s not an insurmountable task for Cadillac.”
With the sport’s revitalized business model and its budget cap, Speed is optimistic about the potential for new teams to break into F1, and he believes Cadillac’s entry could have a massive impact on the sport’s growth in America. “F1’s health is incredible right now, and with Cadillac entering, it’s a big deal for the sport here in the U.S.”
Having competed in NASCAR, rallycross, and Formula E after his F1 career, Speed relishes the variety of experiences he’s had across different racing disciplines. “I love understanding different racing cultures, whether it’s NASCAR, rallycross, or even drag racing. It’s a great way to experience and learn from the diversity of motorsport,” he explains.
A recent highlight came when he participated in Red Bull’s Showrun in Curitiba, Brazil, where he got back behind the wheel of a 2011 Red Bull RB7 F1 car. “The Brazilian fans are incredibly passionate, and it’s a feeling I had almost forgotten,” he says. “100,000 people came out just to watch cars drive around the street. That’s special.”
Though it had been almost two decades since he last raced an F1 car, Speed quickly remembered what made the experience so unique. “A Formula 1 car is like a scalpel, while stock cars and rallycross cars are more like chainsaws,” he reflects. “The feel, the precision, the intensity—it’s so different. But that experience reminded me how fortunate I was to have had such an incredible career.”
Despite the many chapters of his racing life, Speed still holds his time in F1 as his greatest achievement. “Making it to F1 as an American is something I’ll always be proud of. I went to Europe, won championships, and earned my place in a Formula 1 team against some of the best drivers in the world. That will always be the pinnacle of my racing career, and it’s exciting that more people in the U.S. are starting to realize just how significant that is.”