Growing the Audience: The Increased Popularity of the F1 Fanbase
Over the past few years, the sport of Formula 1 has grown immensely in its fanbase, specifically by its global diversity. More fans from the United States and Canada have been taking an interest in the sport that was commonly seen throughout Europe, without a large amount of support in certain areas of North America. The sport has been growing rapidly by gaining popularity with a fanbase of over 750 million fans worldwide. This rapid interest in the sport is partly caused by the captivating draw the sport has on all fans, but this is not the only variable in place to pull in such a large audience in only a few years.
The Drive to Survive docuseries that was released for its first season on Netflix back in 2019, followed the races throughout the season and creating certain personal connections with the drivers. With new seasons coming out annually, casual fans of the sport can watch each season as a recap of the year, with following certain behind the scenes within the races. Additionally, the series allows for new fans to understand the rules and regulations of the sport relatively quickly, with introductions to all the drivers and the teams. With this easy access to the knowledge of the sport, many have found it captivating. Not only does this Netflix show allow for that, but the new F1 movie has allowed for a greater introduction to the sport and creates an understanding of the sport for those who are new to following it. Furthermore, in Drive to Survive, by adding behind the scenes of the races and following the drivers’ personal lives outside of racing, the docuseries can add a level of personal relation with the high-class athletes, creating a greater fanbase for the drivers specifically. By allowing for certain stories to get told, F1 begins to be bigger than a sport. It becomes a sport with personality and culture, and these aspects are highlighted in the fanbase today which can be a large reason for its popularity growth.
Driver to Survive was certainly the beginning of a new and growing fanbase for the sport, but that has not been the only move that have been made as an attempt to grow an audience. The sport has reached many aspects of a younger audience by building digital content within social media. Many drivers and team principles have social media which allows for fans to follow along with their personal and professional lives. This allows for a similar notion as the Netflix series held, being that the fans can fall in love with the sport within the stories and personalities. In addition, all the F1 teams host an admin with social media accounts. These accounts can often reach out to younger audiences by following recent trends and relating to new generations. By creating these handles on media outlets such as Instagram and TikTok, teams can grow their personal fanbases by having the fans watch their videos through entertainment. This reaches a new generation of Formula 1 fans by introducing them to the sport through social media; an ideal that is already very familiar for certain youths.
Lastly, the sport has not only been connecting with their fans on a personal level to increase the sport’s popularity, but rather they have been creating partnerships that grow the brand of Formula 1. One larger partnership that has allowed for a greater audience is that with LEGO. Brands such as that are able to introduce F1 themed merchandise which can help provide the sport with diverse audiences. It allows for a younger demographic to be introduced into the sport and creates new opportunities for the drivers and teams throughout these partnerships.
By these new notions that have been put in place in the recent years, Formula 1 has grown exceptionally. As an already popular sport, it has expanded even more worldwide. The growth has allowed for a greater diversity within the fanbase through age, nationality, and gender. This has not only impacted Formula 1, but rather motorsports as a whole.
Written by Mira Johal
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