There’s nothing wrong with being let down by Formula 1 and the flashy Netflix series that took you racing around the world at the height of the pandemic.

The behind-the-scenes docudrama “Drive to Survive” presented F1 as an attractive and sophisticated alternative to NASCAR. The epic 2021 championship fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton has become unmissable, with Americans setting their alarms to follow one of the fiercest battles in history.

F1 has finally won over the elusive American public and rights holder Media Liberty has added dates in Miami and Las Vegas to the calendar to give the country three races this year. With Canada and Mexico, the total is five in North America in a schedule of 22 competitions.

But here’s F1’s dirty little secret: racing has never been sensational and 2021 has been an atypical season.

Since Verstappen controversially beat Hamilton in the final act in Abu Dhabi, only five drivers have won all 31 races since.

It’s been quite a journey for Verstappen since winning his first title and the two-time reigning world champion has won 21 races since Abu Dhabi 2021. He’s won six of eight races in a sleepy season – with fellow Mexican Sergio Pérez triumphant in the other two, giving Red Bull eight comprehensive wins in 2024. Verstappen is in the midst of a four-game winning streak.

Verstappen’s victory at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday left him tied with the legendary Ayrton Senna for a career total of 41, fifth on the all-time list. It is a great achievement, certainly, but one that has never been in doubt.

Asked before the race about Verstappen’s blistering pace, Hamilton admitted the 25-year-old would likely surpass his all-time record of 103 wins.

“He has a long career ahead of him, so absolutely. At the end of the day, records are there to be broken and he has an amazing team,” Hamilton said. “We have to work harder to try and extend it (Hamilton’s record).”

The only thing that caught up with the weekend in Montreal was that it was a close race: his margin of victory over the resurgent Fernando Alonso was 9.5 seconds.

Is it close ? Well yes, considering Verstappen has won races by double-digit margins all season and Canada posted the closest finish.

“It probably wasn’t our best race, but still, winning by nine seconds I think shows we have a great car,” Verstappen said of his dominance in Montreal.

And that’s a problem in America, where NASCAR is king and its crowds tune in to action-packed races, the chance to see multiple winners and spectacular crashes. F1 has only two winners this season: Verstappen and Pérez. NASCAR, on the other hand, has 10 different winners in 16 races.

IndyCar, which has become as much of a haven for drivers unable to carve out a place in F1 as leader Alex Palou hopes it will, has five different winners in its eight races.

American motorsport fans are generally not very loyal.

And this new love affair with F1 will be short-lived if the on-track action doesn’t improve. F1 excels for its drama and low blows, but when it doesn’t translate into exciting product, it will test your attention span.