Not long ago, Formula 1 was a niche European motorsport followed mainly by die-hard fans. Fast forward to today, and it’s a cultural juggernaut. Record-breaking audiences, celebrity-filled paddocks, and social feeds dominated by race highlights and driver memes have transformed the sport into one of the most powerful global entertainment brands.
What changed? Storytelling — and data.
The 2019 debut of Netflix’s Drive to Survive gave fans something the sport had never offered before: unfiltered human drama. Suddenly, drivers became protagonists, teams became rival empires, and strategy calls turned into cliffhangers. The result wasn’t just a ratings bump, it was a complete rebrand of F1’s image for the digital age.
To understand how this shift plays out in real time, we turned to Onclusive Social, analyzing online conversations and media coverage around Formula 1. The data reveals how the sport’s media ecosystem evolved — from streaming storytelling to influencer amplification — and what brands can learn from F1’s precision approach to communication.
The turning point in Formula 1’s modern history didn’t happen on the track... it happened on screen.
When Drive to Survive premiered in 2019, it reframed the sport from a technical competition into a human drama. Each season built narratives of rivalry, resilience, and redemption — the raw ingredients of viral engagement.
According to Sports Illustrated, the U.S. audience for Formula 1 grew dramatically following the show’s debut: the 2021 season averaged 931,000 viewers per race, a 53% increase over 2020 and 40% higher than comparable 2019 races.¹ Nielsen’s analysis later found that more than 360,000 people who hadn’t watched F1 in late 2021 tuned into races in 2022 after first watching Drive to Survive.
This surge wasn’t only about visibility . It reshaped who the fans were. Formula 1’s own 2021 Global Fan Survey reported that the share of female fans rose from 8% in 2017 to 18% in 2021, while the sport’s average fan age dropped from 36 to 32 years old. In other words: F1’s audience no longer just watches, it participates, narrates, and amplifies.
🎬 “Formula 1 turned its data into drama, and its drama into growth.”
The Drive to Survive effect underscores a crucial lesson for communicators: authentic storytelling fuels engagement more powerfully than product promotion. In PR and marketing, the brands that win attention aren’t necessarily the fastest or loudest, they’re the ones that turn performance into narrative.
If Formula 1’s engines roar on the track, its narrative now lives online , and the conversation is louder than ever.
According to Onclusive Social data (Sept 21 – Oct 21, 2025), Formula 1 generated:
The sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive (63%), reflecting how F1 has transformed from a niche motorsport into a global storytelling platform that inspires enthusiasm and brand loyalty.
💬 Sentiment drivers:
Positive buzz is led by performance narratives: Max Verstappen’s dominance, McLaren’s resurgence, and Ferrari’s comeback arcs. while negative spikes often relate to team strategy controversies or technical reliability issues.
The top-performing hashtags : #F1, #Formula1, #Ferrari, #McLaren, and #SingaporeGP, illustrate how digital culture merges fan passion with brand power. Meanwhile, emerging crossover tags such as #BMW (linked to the manufacturer’s electric car discussions) and #PhotographyChallenge show how Formula 1 content transcends sports, blending with lifestyle and visual trends on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
🌍 A truly global conversation:
Top engagement came from the U.S. (23%), followed by Mexico (10%), Argentina (10%), and Italy (11%) — proving how America has become a cultural engine of F1 fandom. Cities like Mexico City, London, and Buenos Aires rank among the most active conversation hubs, showing that F1’s digital pulse is as fast as its cars.
👥 The demographic shift:
Formula 1’s audience remains majority male (66%), but the growth in women’s engagement (34% and rising!) reflects how storytelling and accessibility are broadening the sport’s appeal. The 26–40 age group dominates discussions, highlighting F1’s prime hold on a digitally native, career-driven generation.
Formula 1’s digital ecosystem shows what happens when a brand (or sport) becomes its own media engine. By using real-time social listening, communicators can track not just what fans are saying, but how and why conversations evolve across regions, demographics, and emotional tones.
Onclusive’s platform allows brands to replicate this approach — identifying audience shifts, influencer networks, and sentiment patterns to stay ahead of reputation curves.
Since the debut of Drive to Survive in 2019, Formula 1 has undergone a profound transformation, evolving from a niche motorsport into a global entertainment and media powerhouse. The sport has transformed its communications strategy, turned drivers into influencers, expanded merchandise sales, and leveraged blockbuster films to broaden its cultural footprint.
📺 1. Strategic Shift in Communication
Post-2019, Formula 1 embraced a fan-first, digital-first approach. Behind-the-scenes content, driver storytelling, and interactive engagement became central to its strategy, attracting a younger, more diverse audience worldwide. According to Nielsen, F1’s global fan base has grown to include a larger proportion of women and Gen Z viewers, reflecting how storytelling can reshape audience demographics.
👥 2. Drivers as Influencers and Content Creators
Drivers have become influential content creators, with personal media teams producing Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube content that resonates directly with fans. Their social reach rivals mainstream celebrities: Lewis Hamilton: 39.7M followers (more than Serena Williams (27M) and comparable to LeBron James (42M)), Charles Leclerc: 18.9M followers, Max Verstappen: 14.6M followers.
This demonstrates that F1 athletes are no longer just competitors; they are personal brands and influencers, engaging millions directly and shaping global conversations about the sport.
🛍️ 3. Evolution of Merchandise and Product Lines
F1’s commercial ecosystem has grown alongside fan engagement. Merchandise sales skyrocketed 101% in the UK and USA in 2022, driven by both team stores and online platforms. Partnerships with fashion and lifestyle brands have expanded offerings, integrating F1 branding into streetwear, accessories, and collectibles. This growth highlights how F1 has leveraged its cultural relevance to drive tangible revenue.
🎬 4. The Impact of "F1: The Movie"
The release of F1: The Movie in 2025 marked a significant milestone in the sport's media presence. The film earned $629.3 million worldwide, including a $57 million domestic opening weekend, making it the highest-grossing auto racing movie ever.
Produced on a budget of $200–300 million, the film not only showcased the thrill of racing but also integrated brand partnerships seamlessly into its narrative, demonstrating how F1 can transform performance and competition into global entertainment and marketing opportunities.
This approach to cinematic storytelling set a new standard for future sports-related media productions, with the film becoming both the highest-grossing Apple Studios release and Brad Pitt's top-grossing film, highlighting the immense potential for leveraging F1's spectacle to enhance brand visibility and engagement on a massive scale.
Formula 1 has transformed into a global marketing powerhouse, attracting both legacy brands and new entrants eager to capitalize on its expanded audience and digital reach.
📈 Sponsorship Growth and Brand Visibility
In 2024, Formula 1 teams generated a record $2.04 billion in sponsorship revenue, with technology companies leading the charge. This surge reflects the sport's appeal to a younger, tech-savvy demographic, driven by the success of Drive to Survive and increased global viewership.
Notably, new entrants like Audi and Cadillac are set to join the grid in 2026, bringing fresh opportunities for brand partnerships. Audi has announced a title partnership with Revolut, a global financial technology company, while Cadillac is collaborating with TWG Motorsports. These partnerships are expected to attract a diverse range of sponsors eager to associate with these prestigious brands.
Formula 1’s story isn’t just about speed — it’s about strategy. Over the past decade, the sport has mastered the art of turning data, storytelling, and emotion into global influence. From Netflix’s Drive to Survive to billion-dollar sponsorships and blockbuster films, F1 has proven that authentic narratives and intelligent media strategy can transform an industry.
At Onclusive, we see the same principles at work every day. Whether you're managing a global brand or leading a niche campaign, media intelligence shows what drives attention and how to turn it into measurable impact.
In an era defined by algorithms, emotion, and engagement, F1’s rise offers a clear lesson: success belongs to those who understand their story — and know how to amplify it.