Formula 1 is being aggressive as aggressive.
The European motor sport is making its way to the United States in a big way. It's opening an office in New York City and, according to the Sports Business Journal, is going after sponsors in several sectors, including financial, telecom, insurance, spirits and apparel.
.@F1 is opening an office in New York City mainly focused on sponsorship sales, the series reveals to @sbjsbd ?https://t.co/hAhYoFE7W5 pic.twitter.com/HMlqTsMLvY
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 3, 2017
Sources said categories @F1 is chasing include financial services, fuel, insurance, spirits, gaming, telecom, rental car and sports apparel.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 3, 2017
True, F1 is a much different sport with a much different audience. But, by setting up an office in the financial capital of the world, F1 is clearly looking to capitalize on its world-wide popularity, and you can bet it will draw a distinction between itself and other racing entities.
RELATED: F1 looking to make changes to make the sport faster
For example, the New York Times has written that F1 is the pinnacle of the racing world. It's story noted that while television viewership is down, it's still a dominant force in broadcasting, with some 115 broadcast partners in 150 countries. F1 tends to crush the competition in Europe, the report noted.
F1 is also making changes that will make it faster and louder, changes the fans have asked for.
Contrast that to NASCAR, which has been suffering from declining ratings and is having a very hard time with sponsorship. Monster Energy is debating whether to extend it's deal with the sport's primary sponsor, and several teams -- most notably, Richard Petty Motorsports -- has lost sponsorship dollars that throw their plans for 2018 in turmoil.
F1's entry into the United States, looking for sponsorship dollars, adds a layer on competition NASCAR doesn't need.