Check out these F1 liveries based on NBA teams

The US Grand Prix returns to the F1 calendar in Austin this weekend after a two-year, Covid-enforced absence, and to drum up a bit of attention the sport has joined forces with the NBA in a bid to ‘make it’ in the States.

Remember, F1 has big ambitions for the US of A: the Netflix series Drive to Survive has fuelled a surge of interest on that side of the pond, and next season there will be two races in the US as F1 visits Miami for the first time.

Based on a 2022 concept car, the first 10 liveries posted so far feature teams from the Central and Pacific Divisions of the NBA. Among these are the colours of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls, the Indiana Pacers and - perhaps most suitably of all for racing - the Detroit Pistons. Motor City n’ all that…

Liveries for all 30 teams will be released ahead of this weekend’s race, and if that wasn’t enough the drivers will take place in a free throw competition on a half-court within the Circuit of the Americas paddock.

A selection of NBA legends will be on hand to give tips and some hastily applied coaching, then it’s 10 shots each, most baskets wins and a $20,000 prize to go to a charity of the victorious team’s choice.

Forget sprint qualifying, has F1 just stumbled on an infinitely better way to shake up the grid for Sunday?

Images: F1