The Athletic

Formula One is big business in the United States today, but that wasn't always the case.

In fact, for the majority of the 1990s, F1 didn't even have a race in the US.

Before the Indianapolis Roadcourse became F1 didn't even have a race in the US. Before the Indianapolis road course

became F1's stateside home in 2000, the final US GP was held on the streets of Phoenix in 1991.

And despite circuit changes for that year to speed the track up and talk of a longer contract

being signed, F1 never returned. So to join me, Glenn Freeman, to look back on a weekend where Ayrton, Sena and McLaren

looked ominously dominant, we didn't quite realize how bad Ferrari's year was going to

turn out, and a little team called Jordan made its F1 debut, we have Sam Smith, and of course

we had to invite the designer of that first Jordan, the gorgeous

191. Gary Anderson is here as well. And Gary, I've got to come to you first. I imagine we could

do a whole episode with your answer to this opening question, but we'll try to keep it tight. So

when you think of Phoenix, 1991, one earth is the first thing that comes to mind?

Well, actually, the first thing that comes to mind is on the Saturday. It was my 40th birthday.

So they had a cake made downtown, which was the Jordan 191 sort of shape, spayed out wheels or

whatever. And Eddie Jordan's wife Marie

and my wife Jenny both came to the race

and they were our catering staff

I think we might call it

so things were a bit different

back then so it was

yeah it was a very enjoyable race weekend

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