F1 study reveals how Verstappen dominance is affecting the sport
F1 study reveals how Verstappen dominance is affecting the sport
Social engagement in Formula 1 has experienced its first decline since 2018, according to a study by Buzz Radar which looks like it may have something to do with the now-three-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Before this season, social media metrics such as mentions, new followers and social reach had been steadily increasing. However, 2022 marked a peak, with mentions falling by 70.7%, new followers by 49.2%, and social reach by 64.1% so far in 2023.
An analysis of fan conversations on social media has indicated a shift towards negative terms and phrases used on social media. "Not good", "boring" and "disappointing" are becoming more common language in F1 circles whilst the use of "love", "great" and "fun" have declined.
READ MORE: FIA officially announce MORE Qatar GP changes
Title fights pique interest
The report's findings highlight significant declines in F1 mentions and meagre growth in new followers for prominent accounts when comparing 2022 with 2023.
Also, the reach of F1-related content on various social platforms has diminished, contrasting the consistent growth witnessed in previous years. However, these declining statistics are just one aspect of the situation.
The decline in engagement could be attributed to Red Bull and Verstappen's recent dominance, resembling Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton's streak in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
And when people post things like this they still don’t understand why people are finding F1 boring right now https://t.co/aUNHmdAUSp
— Sophie Nicole (@soph_nicole20) October 7, 2023
The 2016 and 2021 seasons stand out as the most widely discussed in the years prior to 2022, which is likely down to the closely contested championship battles.
While 2021 thrived on the excitement generated by Verstappen and Hamilton's championship duel, 2023 appears to be following a pattern seen in 2017 and 2018 when Hamilton's dominance prevailed. Mentions related to the 2023 season are projected to drop by 20% compared to 2022.
I would say interest has levelled off, but is higher for more general sports fans than ever before.
— Ashley Woodhouse (@AshWoody90) October 4, 2023
The Max Verstappen-dominated era we now live in is very boring, even for a hardcore fan like myself, but I wasn’t complaining when Hamilton was racking up titles.#QatarGP 🇶🇦 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Bka0dqbUJT
Not all doom and gloom
Nevertheless, it's worth mentioning that fan engagement remains more passionate than ever, with a 1% increase in negative discussions and a substantial 27% rise in positive conversations compared to 2016.
It's possible that ongoing challenges on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have contributed to the overall decrease in social engagement, although it is not the sole underlying cause of this drop off.
READ MORE: Horner claims Wolff is 'plotting' after Red Bull seal title
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Cullen relationship blossoms with new star after moving on from Hamilton
- 48 minutes ago
Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as shock COMPLICATION revealed
- 1 hour ago
F1 News Today: Incredible Verstappen exit clause reignites F1 rival talks as Mercedes milestone reveals shock RED livery
- 3 hours ago
Horner outlines Ricciardo target to save F1 dream as major Newey announcement made - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
- Yesterday 22:57
Ricciardo makes five-race admission in bid to survive F1 axe
- Yesterday 21:57
Related news
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
Verstappen takes F1 swipe at Hamilton and rivals with ruthless remark
Incredible statistic puts Verstappen AHEAD of Hamilton record
Horner reveals 'unhuman' Verstappen secret
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860