Why female intrigue in F1 is RAPIDLY increasing and the next steps to take

Pin wins in F1 Academy in Jeddah — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Features

Why female intrigue in F1 is RAPIDLY increasing and the next steps to take

F1 has become increasingly popular with female audiences, we delve into the reasons why

Sheona Mountford

Wednesday 13 March 2024 12:57

“To the women and girls in motorsport…here is a very good reminder for all of us, we are here to stay and we are right where we belong.”

Those were the words of F1 presenter Laura Winter on International Women’s Day, and recent figures show female F1 fans are not going anywhere.

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Last October, RTR Sports Marketing reported 70 per cent of F1’s Instagram followers are female, in addition to CEO Stefano Domenicali saying in 2022 that 40 per cent of F1 fans were women.

Not only are more women watching F1, but they are attending more races. F1 travel company Grand Prix Tours said women now represent 50 per cent of their client base.

Alongside this growth, there has been an increased emphasis on helping women progress in motorsport. Whether this is as drivers, engineers or journalists, initiatives such as Girls on Track and the F1 Academy, are all working to address gender inequality in motorsport.

However, what has attracted so many female fans to a male-dominated sport that until a few years ago felt inaccessible?

Sky F1 presenters Martin Brundle, Naomi Schiff and Natalie Pinkham

Doriane Pin racing in the F1 Academy race Saudi Arabia 2024

Liberty Media

In 2017 when Liberty Media bought F1, they did so with the aim of expanding its fan base, targeting social media, the US market and female fans.

According to Forbes this strategy has increased F1’s revenue. Liberty Media reported a year-over-year increase of 25 per cent reaching $3.222 billion in 2023. Moreover, operating profits grew from $239 million in 2022 to $392 million, an increase of 64 per cent.

Katrina Hamlin at Reuters also emphasised that to promote growth, F1 should continue to target female fans, and believes one way to ‘accelerate this trend’ is to feature more female racing drivers.

Female role models

Recently, the role of women in motorsport has increased significantly, an immediate example being the F1 Academy.

Women between the ages of 16 and 25 compete in the all-female series, with the support and backing of F1 teams, headed by former Williams development driver Susie Wolff.

The visibility of Wolff and other women in motorsport, such as drivers Jamie Chadwick and Doriane Pin, prove that motorsport is a place for girls too.

Broadcasters also ensure that women are seen reporting on F1, from Bernie Collins, former strategy engineer at Aston Martin, to paddock reporter Rachel Brookes at Sky.

F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff

Drive to Survive

Introduced in 2019, the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive invites fans behind the scenes of the paddock, and provides a greater insight into the personalities that work in F1.

The Athletic reports that the show has attracted a large US audience, with viewing figures in the States hitting highs of 569,884 for Season 5/2023, with an average of 1.21 million viewers per-race in 2022.

A 2022 survey from Statista also found 30 per cent of F1 fans cited Drive to Survive as a major reason for them becoming a fan of the sport.

More women watching sports

As mentioned previously one way to encourage more women to watch motorsport, is to feature female racing drivers.

Nielsen reports that women’s sport viewership is on the rise. For example, in the UK interest in the Women’s Super League increased 81 per cent from 2022 to 2023, and in 2023, 41 per cent of the global population are excited for the Women’s World Cup, rising from 34 per cent before the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

These figures show more women are watching sports, and motorsport is not exempt from this trend.

F1 Academy logo

Despite this shift, issues persist for women inside and outside of motorsport. Whether it is harassment of female fans at the Austrian GP in 2022, or the More Than Equal Report revealing that only 10 per cent of the motorsport industry is female, there is still a long way to go.

However, what these trends demonstrate is that female F1 fans are integral to the health of the sport and its future survival.

F1 Academy Stefano Domenicali Laura Winter