It’s just a bunch of blokes driving round and round in circles in horribly noisy cars. And traditionally, it’s mostly been other men who sit glued to their screens or travel to locations like Melbourne or Miami to watch the cars screeching around a track.
But in recent years, there’s been an explosion in the number of women who follow Formula 1. It’s expected that around 40 percent of the 70 million people who’ll watch it this year are women. In 2017, only eight percent of fans were female.
So what’s the attraction? Surely it’s more than fangirling thanks to the fact that many of the drivers are, shall we say, quite easy on the eye? Or are women becoming more drawn to sports that have previously had an overwhelmingly male fanbase thanks to clever promotion? Here’s why F1 has got women all revved up.
New owners, new outlook
In 2017, F1 was bought by new owners Liberty Media. Who have pulled out all the stops to attract new fans. They’ve deliberately targeted younger people and women with strong social media campaigns. Including getting influencers to spread the word about how exciting the sport is. They’ve also launched initiatives like video games and an on-demand video service. And brought in sponsors with female-focused brands like cosmetics, which is changing the fan demographic.
The Netflix effect
Reality TV show Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which debuted on Netflix in 2019, has played a huge part in the boom in female fans. It provides behind-the-scenes glimpses of the F1 world, showcasing the rivalries, bromances, politics and pressure of the sport.
“It feels like access to a world that we shouldn’t be seeing,” says executive producer Tom Hutchings.
“Viewers get hooked on that very quickly.”
Focusing on a sport that involves huge amounts of money, as well as immense danger, has proved a sure-fire winner. And it helps that a lot of the people involved in F1 are larger-than-life characters.
“Fortunately, F1 is full of interesting people – ruthless competitors, decisive characters and a few egos,” says Tom.
And now there’s a movie…
F1: The Movie came out last month and is expected to drum up even more interest in the sport. It stars Brad Pitt as a washed-up driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a young racing prodigy (Damon Idris). It was filmed during the 2023 season and many of the drivers from that year appear as themselves. Sir Lewis Hamilton was one of the producers of the film and was involved in the scriptwriting process, sharing some of his experiences.
Women are being encouraged to aim for F1
Two years ago, Liberty Media launched F1 Academy, a “feeder” series of races aimed at giving women drivers the chance to compete in higher levels of auto racing. Only two women have ever qualified for F1 races – Maria Teresa de Filippis in 1958 and Lella Lombardi in 1975-1976. The academy gives 15 female drivers financial help with the hope of getting at least one onto the F1 grid.
All about F1
F1 is the highest class of racing for cars that meet the rules (or formula) set by the governing body, FIA, and is considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport. On a typical circuit, the cars average around 320km/h. On the straights, they can get up to 365km/h. The F1 season runs from March to December and consists of 24 races. Known as Grand Prix, at tracks or circuits of closed roads around the world. There are 20 drivers, two each from 10 teams. There are two championships – one for drivers and the other for constructors (teams). The average annual cost of running an F1 team, including designing, building and maintaining cars.Paying staff and travelling to events, is around $450 million.
Did you know?
There have been 10 F1 drivers from New Zealand. The best known was Bruce McLaren, who won four Grand Prix in 13 seasons. He founded the McLaren team, which has won nine championship titles, including the 2024 one. He was killed in 1970 while testing a new car he had developed. Other well-known Kiwi drivers include Denny Hulme, Chris Amon, Brendon Hartley and now Liam Lawson.
Mad about F1
Bloggers who’ve written about their addictions to F1 say it’s the drama on and off the track that has them hooked. Australian Ali Whittle became obsessed after watching Drive to Survive and says it feels like you go on a journey with your favourite drivers.
“In Formula 1, the best and worst thing is that anything can happen. You’re only as good as your last race.”
Ali loves being part of a fandom, including communicating with other devotees online.
“Feeling excited and having something to look forward to, and keep track of every single week can keep you going when you’re having a hard time. It gives you connection and a community.”
The physical challenges of F1
F1 drivers may compete sitting on their backsides, but motorsport is actually very physically demanding. They must contend with the extreme G-forces generated by driving at such high speeds. For example, braking can cause forces of up to 6 Gs, which is the equivalent of feeling a force up to six times your body weight. So, for someone who weighs 80kg, this is like having a 480kg weight on you.
It gets very hot in the cars thanks to the close proximity of the engine, with temperatures reaching up to 60°C. Drivers have to do cardio training because heart rates can average more than 170 beats per minute. A level usually only seen in people who are exercising intensively.
Did you know?
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell (now Horner), 52, is married to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, 51. Allegations against him of inappropriate behaviour were made last year by a female colleague. He was cleared by Red Bull.
The drivers
Here are some of the drivers wowing us with their skills behind the wheel this year
Sir Lewis Hamilton
The 40-year-old Brit, who was knighted in 2021, has won seven F1 titles (tied with German Michael Schumacher) and holds the records for the most wins (105), most pole positions (104) and most podium finishes (202). The Ferrari driver is also known for his charity work and activism. A fan of fashion, he’s a brand ambassador for Dior and Lululemon, and has his own clothing range.
Max Verstappen
The Dutch/Belgian driver has won the driver’s championship for the past four years and 65 GP in total. He was the youngest F1 driver in history when he competed in his first race in Australia, aged 17, and the youngest to ever win a GP. Max, 27, also holds the record for the most wins in a season (19) and the most consecutive wins (10). The Red Bull driver is the third most successful driver ever.
Lando Norris
Last year’s runner-up in the championship, McLaren driver Lando, 25, made his F1 debut in 2019 and has won seven races. So far this year, he’s second in the standings.In a recent poll of F1 fans in 103 countries, he was chosen as people’s favourite driver. Lando is the son of a retired pensions manager who is the 501st richest person in the UK and has talked openly about his mental health struggles.
Oscar Piastri
The 24-year-old Australian is leading the standings so far this year, with five wins in 11 races. A go-karter from age nine, he’s only been an F1 driver since 2023, but has won seven Grand Prix in total. Racing since he was 15, the McLaren driver is the only person in history to win the Formula Renault, Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships in successive seasons.
Charles Leclerc
Second in the poll of favourite drivers, Charles, 27, hails from Monaco and is the godson of F1 driver Jules Bianchi, who died in 2015 after crashing in the Japanese GP. The Ferrari driver has won eight GP and last year was the first driver from Monaco to win the Monaco GP in 93 years. During Covid lockdowns, he composed classical music. His first album went to number two on the Billboard classical charts.
Liam Lawson
Kiwi Liam, 23, made his F1 debut in 2023. Earlier this year, he won a place in the Red Bull team but disappointing results saw him relegated to their secondary F1 team, Racing Bulls. In June, he won praise for admitting an incident where he made contact with another car was his fault. One F1 commentator said taking responsibility built credibility in the sport and showed integrity.
