NASCAR’s Cup Series race in Mexico beat Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix in television viewership last weekend, drawing more American viewers during a rare scheduling clash between the two top motorsport series.

The Viva Mexico 250 had 2.097 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video, compared to F1’s 1.9 million race-only audience and 1.335 million full-window average on ABC.

A Direct Comparison Between the Top-Viewed Motorsport Events

It was a historic weekend for NASCAR as it hosted its first-ever points-paying Cup Series race outside the United States. The Mexico City event gave American fans a reason to tune in, and they did in bigger numbers than Formula 1.

Usually, F1 races air in the morning due to its European-based calendar. But the Canadian Grand Prix started close to the same time as the NASCAR race in Mexico, allowing for a direct viewership comparison. On this occasion, NASCAR came out on top.

Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal posted the full weekend viewership rankings on X. NASCAR’s Cup Series led all motorsports in the U.S., followed by Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR Xfinity, and ARCA. Here’s how the numbers broke down:

1. NASCAR Cup (Prime Video): 2.097 million viewers
2. Formula 1 Canadian GP (ABC): 1.9 million race-only / 1.335 million full-window
3. IndyCar (FOX): 1.012 million viewers
4. NASCAR Xfinity (The CW): 868,000 viewers
5. ARCA Series (FS1): 102,000 viewers

IndyCar, America’s top open-wheel series, finished well behind both NASCAR and F1 in the ratings. Even the Xfinity Series, NASCAR’s second-tier division, pulled in nearly 870,000 viewers on The CW.

This isn’t the first time NASCAR has outperformed Formula 1 in the U.S. in recent times. Last month, the Cup Series beat the Miami Grand Prix in viewership, pulling 2.56 million on FS1. F1’s race in Miami dropped from 3.1 million viewers in 2023 to just 2.2 million this year.

Shane Van Gisbergen Clinches a Decisive Win in NASCAR’s First Race in Mexico

SVG dominated Sunday’s Cup Series race in Mexico City, winning by nearly 17 seconds in what became the largest margin of victory in a Cup race since 2009. The New Zealand driver pulled away late in the race and left the field far behind. Christopher Bell finished second, with Chase Elliott coming in third.

Van Gisbergen’s weekend didn’t start smoothly. He arrived late in Mexico due to plane issues and skipped a scheduled TV appearance Sunday morning because of illness. Despite feeling sick, he got behind the wheel and delivered a near-perfect performance.

“What a week,” Van Gisbergen said after the race via Motorsport.com. “I’ve really enjoyed myself here. I felt pretty rubbish today, leaking out both holes. That wasn’t fun. Thank you to SafetyCulture, Trackhouse, Chevy, and ECR engines. Our car was amazing. I think the #54 [Gibbs] was close, but that last stint, man, what a pleasure just ripping lap after lap and watching them get smaller in the mirror. Unreal.”

The race included a brief rain shower, but Van Gisbergen stayed in control. The final stretch of the event ran over 30 laps without a caution, and SVG never lost the lead. His win adds to his earlier victory in the 2023 Chicago Street Race.

SVG is set to race again in the Cup Series at Pocono Raceway on June 22 in The Great American Getaway 400.