Formula One's former boss once said he didn't believe his series needed the United States.
Meanwhile, the U.S. motorsports community and its massive fan base always seemed to get along just fine without F1. The U.S. spent eight years each in the 1980s and '90s .
Then once it returned, it seemed perfectly content with one-and-done weekends each season, either sandwiched in between IndyCar and NASCAR at Indianapolis.
The point is, Formula One and the United States were always like a pair of magnets turned the wrong way and pushed together.
Like a round piston in a square block. Like synthetic oil and perfectly chilled Fuji water. Like Kimi Raikkonen and smiling.
They just didn't go together. American F1 fans were considered a fervent but niche group.