Fans wait eagerly on the sidelines behind fences, decked in the colors of their favorite teams watching the several race cars line up behind each other in a straight line. They slowly start revving their engines. As the countdown begins with the five red dots, racers start their engines to prepare for a speedy start. The light turns green making the cars zoom forward, pushing past each other with the crowd going wild, cheering them on. This is what it’s like being a Formula One fan. Since 2019, the Formula One franchise has seen a significant surge in popularity. But what’s driving this growth in its fanbase? What is it about the sport that captivates audiences and keeps them coming back for more?
Formula One was first founded in 1950. Even back then, they had a solid fan base during the Formula One World Championship. According to the official Formula One website, about 120,000 spectators lined up on the tracks for the world championship in 1950, including his Royal Highness King George VI along with Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and guests Lord and Lady Mountbatten. Despite this already impressive guest list, it was the Netflix documentary series “Drive to Survive” that caught the attention of many newcomers in 2019. This series focused on the drivers’ insights off the tracks where they shared training protocols and other interests. Even though Formula One catered mainly to men, in November of 2022, 40% of global fans were women according to Forbes. When asked what drew her to watch Formula One, Geon Cha ’28 exclaimed, “The men are hot.” But there is more to it than the attractiveness of the drivers. Geon added, “The aesthetic appeal of the high tech catches my eye as well. I also like the specific design of the car and the sound the engine makes.” .
The influence of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram as well as other internet services helped bring attention to more people worldwide. Influencers would share footage from Formula One races and even some crashes that made the viewers comment with curiosity about the series, wanting to learn more. Clips of the Netflix documentary series showing what drivers do in their freetime which attracted the audience to see a glimpse of their lavish lifestyles. On the official Formula One Youtube channel, they play games with the drivers; “Never Have I Ever” video has already amassed 1.5 million views. Behind-the-scenes clips are also posted on the channel. The increase in fans led to an increase in promos and sponsors which also increased revenue as operating profits grew from $239 million in 2022 to $392 million, an increase of 64%.
“I really like their ability to withstand the pressure that’s being put on them,” Isabella Bertoli ‘28 stated. “They’re going so fast and when they turn, they go at about 100 miles per hour and when they are just regularly racing, they go to 200 kilometers per hour.” Watching the racers make sharp turns around the edges adrenalizes to the viewers. Isabella added, “It’s also cool to see them training because they have to do a lot of neck training to help with keeping a stabilized head on the tracks.” Watching how much effort racers put in before going onto the race tracks for what seems to be just a simple race between drivers excites the audience. “I like the tension between racers. It’s entertaining to see them fight head to head on the tracks and it keeps me on the edge to find out who eventually wins,” Geon mentioned. The intense competition between racers, the amount of high tech that is involved with the series, the glamour in the racers’ personal lives and the dramatic storyline keep the viewers anticipating what happens next–whether it be rivalry or mishaps that occur on the tracks.
With content constantly circulating online, the sport continues to draw in more and more people. “I think its fanbase is really chill and welcoming because they make a lot of jokes and memes out of the racers based on what they say and do,” Geon explained. Social media has made it easier than ever to dive into the world of Formula One. So, as the engines roar and the lights go out, will you find yourself caught up in the excitement, or will you miss out on the ride?
