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Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok says the 2021 title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen helped the whole of motorsport thrive.
On the ‘Fuelling Around’ podcast, hosted by British Touring Car Championship legend Jason Plato and Dave Vitty, Karun Chandhok said the title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen increased interest in all forms of motorsport.
“It has a trickle-down effect to everyone in the sport,” Chanhok said.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s touring cars or Formula 3, it doesn’t matter what category it is. If people are interested in F1 they suddenly become interested in motor racing. It starts with F1.
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“You saw it in the 90s. When you had the era of big Nige [Nigel Mansell] and Damon [Hill], the UK went mad for it and therefore you guys in the touring car world benefited I think.
“You had big crowds and manufacturers because there’s a hunger for motor racing. I think we’re seeing that because of Lewis and Max.”
Chandhok added that the viewership data in 2021 showed huge growth for Formula 1 in 2021.
“When we went to Austin, the guy from ESPN said their viewership was up by nearly 30%. Our viewership at Sky was double what it was in 2018,” he concluded.
