Last month, BBC’s Andrew Benson released a book on F1, Remarkable Motor Races, where he uncovered some of the most interesting moments the sport has ever seen. One standout story he shared was how American pop star Taylor Swift played a pivotal role in saving the US GP from being dropped from the calendar due to financial struggles.
Benson recently appeared on The Fast and The Curious podcast and shed some more light on the same. He said,
“The US Grand Prix when it started in Austin, everyone loved it. But it was looking a bit shaky financially for a while. Bobby Epstein (promotor of the Circuit of the Americas) then kind of serendipitously came up with the idea of Taylor Swift having a concert at the track“.
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Although Epstein came up with this idea by chance, he was keen on making it a reality. Hence, he contacted Swift’s manager, who was from Austin. They had a meal together to discuss the idea of having Swift host a concert during the 2016 United States GP, Benson revealed.
Swift held a concert on the Saturday night after qualifying and Benson believed “it was a big financial success” as a lot more fans flocked to the track the next day.
He then pointed out how Liberty Media and COTA have now adopted this model of having concerts during F1’s visit to Austin each year.
Back in 2016, Taylor Swift was already a recognizable star, but today, she is arguably one of the most popular singers in the world. With her immense fame, she has garnered fans from all walks of life, including F1 stars. In fact, one of them has even been romantically linked to her.
Fernando Alonso’s rumored flame with Swift
In 2023, social media was buzzing with rumors that Fernando Alonso was romantically linked to Taylor Swift, a story that sent shockwaves through both the F1 and pop-culture worlds.
Swift never addressed the rumors, but Alonso, in typical fashion, responded with humor. The two-time World Champion posted TikToks featuring Swift’s music, keeping fans intrigued and fueling speculation.
However, in late 2023, Swift announced her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, officially putting the Alonso rumors to rest—or so it seemed. F1 fans continued to draw connections between the two, especially when Swift released her new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
One song featured the lyrics, “I’m an Aston Martin that you steered straight into the ditch. Then ran and hid,” which fans speculated was a reference to Alonso, given his Aston Martin connection.
As with most rumors, these too eventually faded, but not before stirring plenty of excitement.
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