With Liberty Media looking into the possibility of a second U.S. Grand Prix to join the Formula One calendar in the near future, we've looked at some of the best -- and most optimistic -- options across the pond which could join Austin's Circuit of the Americas.
New York
A grand prix on the streets of New York has been at the top of F1's wish list for as long as the championship has existed. A New York race was the stuff of former boss Bernie Ecclestone's wildest dreams, but it was not so long ago that New Jersey constructed a pit and paddock building on the banks of the Hudson River for the proposed Grand Prix of America.
A lack of funding saw that plan fall through, but since then Formula E has secured a race in Brooklyn with the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan as a backdrop. With the right amount of funding a race in New York is not impossible, but it will require greater willingness from those controlling the purse strings at the top of the sport.
Las Vegas
F1 and Las Vegas would be perfect partners, and last year Ecclestone claimed a preliminary contract is in place. But whether the race ever becomes a reality is another matter and once again it will come down to money ... lots of money. F1 last raced in America's gambling heartland in 1982 on a circuit located in the car park of Caesars Palace, but by all accounts the dull track layout meant it was a huge opportunity missed.
Champ Car ran on a pretty wild street circuit in 2006, but what F1 really wants is a race along Las Vegas' world-famous Strip. Imagine a night race under the neon lights of the casinos, with sparks flying on the straights and brake discs glowing in the corners. It still might just happen.
Miami
While we're on the subject of street races, how about a race along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach? A twilight race would allow the Art Deco neon to be shown off in all its splendour and fans could go for a dip in the Atlantic before FP3. Formula E currently hosts a race on the other side of the bay, but the track is far too tight and small to accommodate F1 cars. Unlikely, yes, but this is a dream list after all.
Laguna Seca
Street circuits are all well and good, but there is no substitute for a true drivers' track. Laguna Seca in California is just that, and although short at just 2.2 miles long, it packs in some mind-bending corners. The signature sequence is known as the Corkscrew and features a chicane that drops away on entry, unlike anything on the F1 calendar today.
Turns 3, 4 and 5 were all added with an F1 race in mind back in 1989, but ultimately the powers that be decided to take F1 to the streets of Phoenix instead. Former F1 driver Marc Gene holds the unofficial lap record at Laguna Seca, with a 1:05.768 set on a single flying lap in a Ferrari F2003 GA in 2012.
Watkins Glen
For two decades this picturesque circuit in New York State hosted the U.S. Grand Prix, but it was dropped from the calendar in 1981 after being unable to afford necessary safety updates. Since then the circuit has undergone a series of upgrades and currently sits at Grade 2 level in the FIA's list of licensed circuit (Grade 1 is required for an F1 race).
IndyCar still uses a layout very similar to the old grand prix circuit, so there's no reason why F1 couldn't do the same with the necessary safety tweaks.
Road Atlanta
OK, we'll admit it, the undulating and sweeping corners of Road Atlanta probably wouldn't lend themselves to the best racing on a Sunday, but what a show qualifying would be! The likes of Suzuka and Monaco rarely allow good racing, but their old-school layouts add something that a street race or a Tilke-drome simply cannot.
Road Atlanta would do the same. The circuit is currently licensed at Grade 2 level by the FIA, so as long as Grade 1 modifications wouldn't ruin the character of the track, it would be a very welcome addition to the F1 calendar.
Long Beach
For eight years the Long Beach street circuit to the south of Los Angeles hosted a grand prix on a challenging and undulating track. The original 1976 layout would still be the dream circuit, with the Le Gasomet and Queen's Hairpins separated by a long sweeping straight along Shoreline Drive.
IndyCar still races on a truncated version of the old layout and an F1 return has been talked about as recently as 2014. IndyCar's contract with the race promoters ends in 2018, so no doubt speculation about F1 replacing it will be fired up again in a year's time.
Sonoma
A mixture of oversteer-inducing crests and corners make the Sonoma Raceway one of the more challenging road circuits on the IndyCar calendar. Watching an F1 car round here in qualifying trim would be a treat, and if NASCAR and IndyCar can race on its narrow track there's no reason why grand prix cars can't do the same.
Daytona: 24-Hour Layout
Although F1 is unlikely to return to Indianapolis anytime soon, there is another oval with a road course layout that is almost as iconic. The circuit used for the Daytona 24 Hours takes to the infield of the famous tri-oval, but also uses large parts of the daunting 31-degree banking. Making tyres that are up to the test might be an issue, but if that hurdle can be overcome F1 would put on a great show for the 101,000-capacity crowd.
Virginia International Raceway
This one is arguably the longest longshot on the list. VIR was designed and built by a bunch of wealthy car enthusiasts in 1957 and was one of the first permanent road courses in the U.S.A. It closed in 1974 and much of the space was converted back to farmland, but in the year 2000 it reopened as a motorsport resort.
The 3.2-mile circuit follows the centreline of the original track and features a series of fast and flowing corners, with names such as Hogs Pen, Roller Coaster and Bitch. Currently Trans-Am and IMSA Sports Cars are the two biggest racing series visiting the narrow VIR annually, making F1 extremely unlikely.