(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Formula One appears interested in adding a new U.S. city to its racing calendar: Chicago.
The licensing arm of Formula One filed several trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 19, including: Formula One Chicago Grand Prix, Grand Prix of Chicago, Formula One Grand Prix of Chicago, and Chicago Grand Prix.
Although the filings weren’t accompanied by any official statements by Formula One, the move was the latest sign that Formula One has its eye on Chicago.
In 2023 the league held a showcase outside the United Center, where it demonstrated Red Bull’s RB7 car, which the team drove to a championship title in 2011. A similar event took place in 2019 at Soldier Field.
Formula One has seen a massive jump in popularity in the U.S. following the success of Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” series. The organization has responded with an increased presence in the U.S. with races in Austin, Las Vegas and Miami.
Chicagoans got a taste for what it’s like to host a street race over the 2023 Fourth of July weekend, when the NASCAR Chicago Street Race debuted around Grant Park.
WBBM has reached out to the city of Chicago for comment on the filings.
With its 2024 schedule already set, the earliest that a Formula One race could possibly take place in Chicago would be 2025.
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