COTA F1 ticket sales were thru the roof

While IndyCar is likely going to lose their COTA race due to poor ticket sales, F1's popularity for the Austin race is thru the roof

Unlike IndyCar which remains invisible to the general public, ticket sales for the 2020 Formula 1 US GP were significantly up prior to the coronavirus pandemic that forced its cancellation, Circuit of the Americas boss Bobby Epstein has revealed.

COTA noted in a statement today that initial ticket sales for 2020 had been up by 250%, but Epstein said it was looking even better than that before the virus struck.

"That number is conservative," he told Autosport.

"Hopefully we haven't lost some momentum, it's just delayed to 2021.

"Coming off last year's sell-out, the desire for people to secure their seat for this year was terrific.

"Our deposits for tickets, as well as inquiries, were both up significantly.

"It showed I think that we had finally got it right from the standpoint of being a destination event.

"The plans for this year that we had mapped up including increased seating and upgrades to a number of areas.

"We had some real superstar acts lined up for the evenings that I think would have helped us to continue the growth."

Instead of painting bathrooms at IMS which will bring in zero new IndyCar fans, if Roger Penske wants to grow IndyCar he needs to make a Netflix series on IndyCar happen. Asked why F1 ticket sales were up at COTA, Bobby Epstein credited the Netflix series Drive to Survive with playing a role.