The Disneyfication of F1: Goofy in the pitlane and Fantasia in Vegas underline sport’s US transformation

As little as a decade ago it would have been unthinkable that an American institution such as Disney would have chosen to hitch its wagon to F1

The remarkable nature of the transformation in Formula One's fortunes in the United States could not have been better illustrated than by the incongruous sight of Mickey Mouse and an assortment of his Disney pals leading a gang of enthusiastic fans on a walk down the pit lane at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

F1 successfully hosting a race in Sin City and the US now boasting three sellout meetings is testament to the sport's burgeoning prosperity. For all of the somewhat surreal edge of seeing Donald Duck and Goofy outside garages, the fact Disney has chosen F1 as a partner is indicative of the sea change the sport has brought about in a market it has long coveted.