Since 1995, ESPN's most-viewed Formula 1 race of the 2022 season was the first one.

• The 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix attracted over 1 million U.S. viewers on Sunday, making it the most-watched F1 race on cable since 1995.
• In the U.S., the Bahrain Grand Prix drew an average of 1.3 million viewers, with viewership peaking at 1.5 million around 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET as the race reached its thrilling conclusion.
• The Netflix series "Drive to Survive" has boosted F1 popularity and viewership in the U.S. since its March 2019 debut.

The 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix attracted over 1 million U.S. viewers on Sunday, marking the highest F1 race viewership on ESPN since 1995.

The Bahrain Grand Prix drew an average of 1.3 million viewers in the U.S. and peaked at 1.5 million viewers around 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET, with the race's final and most dramatic laps. Compared to the 2021 schedule, viewership for the race increased, with an average of 927,000 viewers, according to ESPN.

F1 viewership in the U.S. was reported using metrics from a measurement and analytics company, while Sky Sports holds the rights to broadcast F1 races in the U.K.

Charles Leclerc, a Monegasque driver, won the Grand Prix, earning him 26 points to start the season. Leclerc outperformed his Spanish teammate, Carlos Sainz, who finished second and earned 18 points for a team total of 44 points in the first weekend. Lewis Hamilton, a Mercedes driver and a British national, finished third and claimed 15 points.

Hamilton aims to break his own record of seven F1 World Championships this season, following his defeat to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in the final race of the 2021 season.

The 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix was the most-watched race on ESPN since the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix, which averaged 1.74 million viewers, and it was the most viewed race on any ESPN-owned network since F1 returned to ESPN in 2018.

Since the release of the Netflix series "Drive to Survive" in March 2019, F1 popularity and viewership have increased in the U.S. The fourth season of the show, which covers the 2021 season, was made available on Netflix on March 11.

The racing company broke its viewership record last season with an average of 934,000 viewers per event on ESPN and ABC, a 54% increase from F1's 2020 races. In 2021, the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin drew an average of 1.2 million viewers, airing on both ESPN and ABC.

In 1995, F1 had a record viewership of 748,000 viewers per race.

In 2019, before the pandemic, F1 averaged 672,000 viewers on ESPN channels. In 2018, after ESPN returned the races to its lineup, F1 races averaged 554,000 viewers on the network.

F1 adding more U.S. races

In 2016, F1 was acquired for $4.4 billion, granting access to a global fan base of over 400 million. As a tracking stock under the ticker “FWONA” on the Nasdaq, it allows companies to evaluate the success of a specific division within their portfolio.

In 2021, the racing league generated $2.1 billion in revenue, up from $1.1 billion in 2020. With the addition of a new race in North America, F1 should be able to increase revenue.

In May 2021, F1 will hold its second U.S. race on the schedule, the Miami Grand Prix, which is a 10-year deal. The financials of the deal were not disclosed, but CNBC reported that motorsport insiders estimate that the auto racing league will earn between $17 million and $20 million per year under the agreement.

From 2008 to 2011, F1 did not race in the U.S. However, it returned to the U.S. with the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin in 2012. Additionally, the Miami Grand Prix brings four total races to North America, as F1 also races in Canada and Mexico.

And F1 could expand in the U.S. again.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the racing company is reportedly seeking to return to Las Vegas as soon as the 2023 season, which would be the first time since 1982 that Las Vegas would host an F1 race.

CNBC requested a comment from F1 on the possibility of a Las Vegas Grand Prix, but F1 did not respond immediately.

The number of F1 races this season is 23, but Chris Lencheski, a longtime sports executive, predicts that it could increase to 25 or more with the addition of a Las Vegas race, another event in China, and a potential return to India and Africa.

Before selling SKI & Company in 2008, Lencheski served as CEO of the sports and entertainment marketing firm. The company specialized in F1 sponsorships.

F1 races have gained more support thanks to the Netflix series, and two manufacturers, Audi and Porsche, are generating excitement.

Formula 1 would receive a significant amount of corporate investment if both of them come to F1, as they have global footprints in the automotive performance industry.

In 2021, F1's partnership revenue grew, including a $100 million deal with Crypto.com.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the Australian Grand Prix are scheduled for Sunday and April 10, respectively, for F1's next race.

Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC’s parent NBCUniversal and Sky.