WASHINGTON — More than 50,000 fans shut down five blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday for the Red Bull Racing Showrun. DC Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert said she was surprised to see fans of all ages there.
"Just kids, the whole variety of people that came out for Formula 1 – that was unexpected to me," she said.
But Jodie McLean, who is the CEO of Edens and helped bring Friday's Fanfest to Union Market, along with Red Bull Racing and Events DC, said she expected those big crowds.
"There’s no question and we knew that going into this – the interest in D.C.," McLean said. "If you think about both the international base of people that are here."
She said part of it was the up close and personal look that fans got to it all.
"To be able to have access to the cars, to the drivers, to the noise of F1," she said. "It’s a funny thing to say, but the noise itself is really exciting."
Because of the success of the showrun, Deputy Mayor Albert hints that there could be more events like this in the future, right on Pennsylvania Avenue, adding that there's high demand for events to be held on the National Mall, but Pennsylvania Avenue may be the new preferred home for big events.
So now, the city is getting ready for the possibility.
"A bunch of things, technical and non-technical, would need to happen," McLean said. "They’ve launched that planning process."
McLean called more events downtown a no-brainer.
"I think events downtown make all the sense in the world," she said, "I think the city is primed to do more and more."
So is there a possibility of an actual Formula 1 race coming to the District?
"Why not D.C.?" responded McLean.
Albert didn't mention a specific timeline for the Pennsylvania Avenue project, but said that the city and the National Capitol Planning Committee are working on technical and design logistics to make it a reality.
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