Formula One's third year back at the U.S. Grand Prix in Texas should be a solid benchmark for expanding the series' footprint in a rich but largely untapped market for fans and money.
Looking inward, F1 has some troubles.
Two teams, Marussia and Caterham, won't race in Austin because of financial problems. That leaves Sunday's race with just 18 cars, F1's smallest starting grid in nearly a decade, prompting new warnings from the sport's governing body to control costs.
In three seasons, Caterham had failed to win a single point and Marussia's grand total is two. At the Circuit of the Americas, there's no sign the teams even exist. One garage sits empty while another has been taken over by tire supplier Pirelli.
