Briatore says he and Trump instigated failed New Jersey F1 bid

Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore has revealed that he and Donald Trump were the driving forces behind the failed bid to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix on a New Jersey street circuit in the 2010s, a project that collapsed because the sport held little sway in America at the time.

Why it matters:

The story highlights how dramatically F1's commercial footing has changed in the United States. A proposal that Trump and Briatore could not sell to American stakeholders years ago is now part of a booming market where multiple races regularly sell out, illustrating that the New Jersey idea was simply ahead of its time.

The details:

• Following the demise of the Indianapolis/F1 partnership in 2007, Briatore said he enlisted Trump—then a promoter with little F1 knowledge—to help pitch a new U.S. Grand Prix to Bernie Ecclestone. Trump suggested New Jersey over New York City, arguing Manhattan would be too difficult logistically.
• The concept became the Grand Prix of America, scheduled for the Port Imperial street track from 2013. Sebastian Vettel and David Coulthard participated in a promotional run through the layout, yet the race was repeatedly postponed and ultimately abandoned.
• Briatore stressed that F1 was not valued in the U.S. during that era, with NASCAR and IndyCar commanding the motorsport spotlight. He described Ecclestone's commercial operation as restrictive, limiting the sport's ability to grow its American profile.

The big picture:

Liberty Media's 2017 purchase of F1 transformed the sport's U.S. prospects. With sellout crowds now flocking to Austin, Miami, and Las Vegas, Briatore credits Liberty's open commercial model and team partnerships for finally unlocking the American market—proving the infrastructure for a New Jersey race existed long before the audience did.