Global stature of Formula One growing at staggering pace

827 million. That’s how large Formula 1’s global fan base is, as officially claimed by the sport a few days ago. Formula 1’s marketing efforts are second to none in the world of sports business. It is no surprise that in 2024 the sport saw a staggering 10 per cent growth in its fan base.

Netflix’s Drive to Survive, F1 75 - the pre-season live event, and now, F1: The Movie, all pieces of content are to bring newer fans to the sport. 

The American fan base, one that Formula 1 is aggressively chasing, grew by 11 per cent and stands at 52 million. Whereas the fan base in India was revealed to be around 60 million strong. Formula 1’s fan base goes where no other sport’s does.

43 per cent of the total fan base is under 35 years, and 42% of the fans are female. It is no wonder that Formula 1’s all-female racing series F1 Academy is being given a push on-track and off it. Dubai-based Atiqa Mir is one of the fastest female karters in the world and has direct backing from F1 Academy. 

The newer fans have also challenged Formula 1 as a sport. The powers have introduced newer racing formats (aka F1 Sprint) while making cars look futuristic and gamified, while also making the sport more accessible to the fans via events. Formula 1’s social media game is stronger than ever before, and there too, the numbers are impressive. 

The previous owner of Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone, prohibited the exposure of Formula 1 over social media. At the 2011 British Grand Prix, I was told to “delete” a video I had shared of the Force India Formula 1 Team (now Aston Martin Racing) doing a practice pit stop! 

Hence, it is no surprise that in 2018 the combined fan following of Formula 1 on social media was only 18 million. In 2025, the number stands at 106 million and is steadily increasing. 

This weekend’s 2025 Belgian Grand Prix hosts the 3rd F1 Sprint race of the 2025 Formula 1 season. As per Formula 1, the viewership of race weekends that host an F1 Sprint race is 10 per cent higher than the ones that don’t! It’s no surprise that the sport’s owners are eager to host more weekends with the “Sprint & Grand Prix” format of racing. In fact, 2026 is rumoured to have at least three new venues hosting this format. 

At the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, the biggest talking point was Red Bull Racing sacking their Team Principal of 20 years, Christian Horner, a few days after the last race at Silverstone. Horner built Red Bull Racing and led it to success with multiple drivers (Sebastian Vettel & Max Verstappen) with multiple power unit manufacturers (Renault & Honda) and across multiple regulations. 

While speculation is rife on whether Verstappen will continue at Red Bull Racing, or if he will jump ship to Mercedes, the key question is what Horner will do next. At 51 years of age, and with the wealth of experience and success he’s had, it would be foolish to assume that Horner’s journey in Formula 1 has ended with this sacking. Let’s wait and watch.