Formula1 in 2021 ®

Global fan insight into the world’s

largest annual sporting series
(2005–2021)

Management Report

October 2021

1
With Thanks to:
Liam Parker, Ellie Norman, Olivier Fisch, Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso,
Juan Pablo Montoya, Felipe Massa, Mick Schumacher, Carlos Sainz, Sergio
Perez, Aurelie Donzelot, Lucy Genon, Stuart Morrison, Luca Colajanni,
Bradley Lord, Zak Brown, Tim Bampton, Matt Bishop, Sabine Kehm, Will
Buxton, Julian Jakobi, Christian Horner, Nigel Geach, James Dickens, Jason
Swales, Jess McFaddyen, Michael Sheehan and the 167,300 fans worldwide
who provided their insight and opinion.

Technical Creation & Delivery

Oleg Safronov, Alena Sukhovetskaya, Greg Morris

Data Analysis
Steve Shaw

Marketing and Design

Ravi Pankhania, Fabio Donato Di Mare, Renat Yakupov, Kristene Turner,
Carla Conde, FINN Partners

Editor
Charles Bradley

Project Management
Ian Burrows

Imagery
Motorsport Images (except Stefano Domenicali Portrait, F1)

Formula One, F1 and FORMULA 1 and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV,
a Formula One Group company and are used under licence.
 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Contents

Contents
04 Foreword
Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula One Group

06 Executive Summary
James Allen, President, Motorsport Network

08 Methodology
Nigel Geach, SVP Motorsport, Nielsen Sports

10 F1 Audience
Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief, Motorsport Network

16 F1 Brand Health
James Dickens, Vice President of Editorial, Motorsport Network

22 F1 Calendar
Jonathan Noble, F1 Editor, Motorsport Network

30 F1 Media Landscape
Jessica McFadyen, Director of Digital Strategy, Motorsport Network

38 F1 Competitors
Oleg Karpov, F1 Network Editor, Motorsport Network

44 F1 Sporting Regulations
Ben Anderson, Editor, GP Racing

48 Gaming and Esports

Luke Smith, F1 reporter, Autosport

54 2021 Global Fan Survey – Key Statistics

Supplied by

56 About

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Foreword

Foreword
Stefano Domenicali
CEO, Formula One Group

Dear friends,

We are hugely grateful for all the fans that This is all hugely positive for the sport.
have given their time to share their views in However, the action on track must be
this huge survey. Their views are hugely exciting and engaging to make this
valuable to us and we are very pleased possible. The good news is that action is
with what we have heard. already underway and in 2022 we will see
a new era of cars that will improve the
We are privileged as a sport to be truly battle on the track.
international, racing in continents and
countries around the world with a global We have a clear plan to maintain the
fan base of over half a billion. We reach progress we have and attract new fans
every corner of the globe through our and we remain focussed on the key
events, tv broadcast and social media and priorities and opportunities we see in
media content. front which are:

If you show people a picture of an F1 car Putting the drivers at the centre of F1 as
anywhere in the world they will know what they are the souls and the ambassadors
it is, and they will think of speed, legends, of the sport. The level of talent we have
and racing. today on the grid is among the highest in
F1 history and we should celebrate that.
This is a blessing – to have such a platform
– but it is also a responsibility. We must Delivering an incredible product that
protect what we have, grow it, reach more strengthens competition and action on
fans, and ensure those blessings remain the track, including a record-breaking 23
and get stronger. races next year and new race locations
added to the calendar.
While the current global environment is
still challenging, we are moving forward. Enhancing the long-term prospects of the
We are focussed on the fans. We must give sport, ensuring an attractive business
them what they want in order to keep model for all participants, and attracting
them engaged. We must retain our core new participants; and remaining
fans while reaching new ones in engaging committed through our actions to our
ways. A balance that requires skill and WeRaceAsOne platform focused on
consideration. sustainability, diversity & inclusion, and
community.
We are focussed on the content we deliver
and the way we deliver it. Our strategy is We are hugely excited about our future,
to keep pushing hard in this area. and we know our fans are too. We look
Continuing to provide rich and engaging forward to writing the next chapters of
broadcast coverage but growing the this amazing sport with all of you
content in other less traditional forms
through social media, partnerships such as Best wishes
Netflix – which has been a huge
success – and through consumer and more Stefano
mainstream media.

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Foreword

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Executive Summary

Executive Summary
Written by: James Allen
President, Motorsport Network

Clearly this is a great time to be a Formula 1 fan.

The results you will read across the pages of this 2021 Global F1 Fan Survey show that F1 is in rude
health, certainly the best I have known it in my 30 year career in the sport. The views expressed here by
167,000 voices in 187 countries about of the appeal of F1 and the health of the F1 brand today are in
striking contrast to the 2015 survey and show a strong upward trend from the 2017 edition.

It was no secret that F1 had been struggling for years to attract younger fans and females especially
and this survey speaks volumes about how the new F1 management team’s digital first approach and
the funnel effect of projects like Netflix “Drive to Survive” are engaging a new generation of passionate
F1 fans. And the racing on track is delivering too. Thanks to the internet and social media anyone
anywhere today can become a fan. At Motorsport Network this is something we recognized some time
ago and as a consequence we created our global online motorsport community; and they have spoken.

So what are the key call-outs that I would direct you towards in this survey?

First the younger and more diverse audience sample than before, with twice as many female
respondents as the 2017 survey and fans spread more evenly across the world. Europe’s audience
dominance is diminishing and the voices from Asia are far louder than before.

Wherever fans are located and whatever age or gender, the powerful majority view (90%) is that F1 is
the “pinnacle of motorsport”.

The most positive take-out is the trend line on brand attributes for the sport. “Exciting” is the most
popular descriptor this time, while “competitive” and “entertaining” enter the top five for the first time
in our surveys. 58% of fans say the sport has the right balance of sport and entertainment (up from 39%
in 2017). This is especially the view of newcomers to the sport.

F1 will also be pleased to note that 55% of fans believe F1 should be a world leader in the
development of 100% sustainable fuels. This is a major strategic future direction for F1 and they will be
gratified to see that 67% of respondents to this survey are already aware of F1’s plan to introduce 100%
sustainable fuels by 2025. But there is more work to be done there in the coming years to spread more
widely an important message.

No doubt most social media posts in the days following the publication of this report will focus on the
fans’ favourite drivers and teams.

McLaren has experienced a renaissance and is now the world’s No.1 most popular team, followed by
Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

Max Verstappen is the fans’ overall No.1 driver and dominates amongst fans ages 25-34. Lando Norris
is No. 2 and the highest-ranked driver amongst the female demographic and leads with under 25s.
Lewis Hamilton is No. 3 and the highest-ranked in the United Kingdom and top amongst fans 35+ years
old. Daniel Riccardo is No. 4 and the highest-ranked in Australia, and No. 2 amongst female fans.

The growing correlation between the sport and gaming/esports is also a key narrative here.

More than half of all fans (51%) play motorsports-specific video games, with 64% of those aged 16-34
being active motorsport gamers.

We look forward with great interest to seeing where all these indicators will be pointing when we return
6 to the next Global F1 Fan Survey in a few years’ time.
Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Executive Summary

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Methodology

Methodology
Written by: Nigel Geach
SVP Global Motorsport, Nielsen Sports

Nielsen Sports is delighted to once again have worked with Motorsport

Network and Formula One in engaging with Formula 1 fans and providing
a platform for them to make their views heard.

Engaging with fans is the key part of any The regular capture of feedback from such
sport to keep up with the ever changing a large and diverse fan base, for the third
sports landscape and media consumption. time in less than six years, is true testament
Understanding their perspectives and to the sport and its willingness to put the
opinions on current and future activities is fans at the heart of future development. By
crucial in helping to shape the future and eclipsing the response in 2017, this latest
continued success of the sport edition represents the most comprehensive
global survey ever conducted among F1
The 2021 Global F1 Fan Survey was fans.
created and translated into 15 languages
and hosted via a common, multi-lingual The value of engaging and listening to
website at www.f1survey.motorsport.com. your fans is evident through this process
Over 167,000 fans, from 187 countries with the considerable positive shifts in
shared their feedback over a five-week perception of the sport, diversity of
period over 4 race weekends during respondents, and younger demographic
September/October 2021 seen since 2017, with the fans’ voice being
heard, actions taken and positive change
Continuing the theme of willingness of the recognized is considerable Being able to
sport to open itself up to the views of its leverage the views of F1 fans again in 2021
fans and their willingness to engage and after a challenging world situation can only
respond is unique in terms of both scale serve to strengthen the sport even further
and frequency. moving forward in the coming years.

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Methodology

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Audience

F1 Audience
Written by: Charles Bradley
Global Editor in Chief, Motorsport Network

Our biggest survey ever,

the most diverse F1 audience yet
• Largest sample ever analysed – 167,302 responses

• Youngest ever sample recorded – 34% of respondents < 24 / 63%

< 34 / Average age 32y 0m
• Highest female participation ever - 18.3% of total sample, up from
10% in 2017
• F1 attracts, passionate new fans with 34% following sport for <5 years,
up from 12% in 2017
• Greater geographic spread – 187 countries represented with a
significant uplift in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa response

The audience which completed the 2021 F1 Global Fan Survey is the youngest, most diverse, and
comprehensive yet.

The Survey was created and translated into 15 languages and hosted via Motorsport Network’s
bespoke, multi-lingual website at www.f1survey.motorsport.com. Over 175,000 fans visited the site
during the 30-day fieldwork period, which was conducted from September 8th to October 7th 2021.
The total sample made available to Nielsen Sports, our expert research partner, was 167,302. This
represents a 12.9% increase on our previous largest survey, which was conducted in 2017.

Average completion time was maintained at 10m37s, in line with our previous surveys, and analysis
captured analysis by age, gender, geographic region, level of interest as well as breakdowns for the
Top 15 markets by response.

In 2021, we are delighted to report a welcome shift in audience demographics:

1. Largest-ever sample size for analysis

While research samples of more than 1,000 respondents are considered statistically robust, an increase
in the overall sample to 167,302 exemplifies the desire and dedication of Formula 1 fans to commit
significant time and effort to voice their opinion on the sport they love.

2. Greater geographic spread

Responses were received from fans in 187 countries worldwide (Note: The United Nations officially
recognises 203 countries) and while the 2021 Study – like all before it – showed a response bias
towards European fans, this fell to its lowest level ever. European fan responses accounted for 57% of
the overall sample; compared to over 63% in 2017 and +70% in all previous studies. In parallel, we
saw a doubling of response from Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East, which accounted for 21% of
the total response – up from 10% in 2017. Response from the Americas remained constant at 36k,
which accounted for 21% of the increased sample.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Audience

Chart 4.1 | Global Fan Survey Sample (2005-2021)

The 2021 Global Fan Survey received

and analysed detailed feedback
from Formula 1 fans in 187 countries
around the world
3. Greater female participation 4. Younger demographic
This was the most diverse study to date. In The 2021 Study attracted the youngest
2021, female participation increased age profile of respondents ever. Over a
dramatically from the 2017 survey to over third of respondents were aged 16-24
30,000 – which is 18.3% of the total sample. – up from 26% in 2017. The average age
This represents an 83% and 177% uplift of the 2021 sample was 32 years, 0
respectively on the 2017 & 2015 Studies. months – with 62.9% in the age range
Regionally, the female response rates were 16-34.
at their highest in the Middle East and
Africa, with one in four respondents being
female.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Audience

Chart 4.2 | Age Profile of Respondents (2005-2021)

5. A fresh audience
Previous studies since 2005 have always featured a high percentage of long-standing fans.
Typically, 85%+ of the sample had comprised fans who have followed F1 for at least six years
and this led directly to F1’s corresponding drive to attract a fresh audience. A very welcome
output from the 2021 Study is a sharp increase in the percentage of participants following F1
for five years or fewer: this has tripled from 11.7% in 2017 to 34% in 2021.

Chart 4.3 | Occupational Analysis of Respondents (2005-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Audience

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Audience

Any research is only as credible as its sample, and we are delighted to announce that the 2021 F1 Global
Fan Study attracted the biggest, freshest, youngest and most balanced global response since analysis
began in 2005.

In a theme that will be returned to later in this report, there was a welcome increase in the percentage of
fans who viewed Formula 1 as their favourite sport – up by 3% on 2017 to 55.5%. There was also a
corresponding fall in the percentage of fans who had previously viewed F1 as their #1 sport, but now
followed other sports more actively: down from 7.1% to 3.4%.

In terms of other motorsports followed, Formula 1 fans continue to follow the FIA World Endurance
Championship (including its flagship Le Mans 24 Hours) and MotoGP and in significant numbers, albeit the
following for both has dropped back slightly since 2017 to 33.1% and 29.4% respectively. The motorsport
series enjoying the fast-growing support among F1 fans is IndyCar – up by 51% on 2017 to 28% – no doubt
helped by former F1 drivers Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson joining its ranks.

The other significant change is the relative newcomer W Series, the all-female single-seater championship.
In its second season, when it joined the support bill of selected F1 rounds, it is being followed by 12% of F1
fans, and this clearly coincides with the sharp rise in female fans overall.

In 2021, over half of respondents

consider Formula 1 as the sport they
follow most avidly
Chart 4.4 | Other Motorsport Series Followed (2015-2021)

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

15.0%

10.0%

0.0%

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Audience

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Brand Health

F1 Brand Health
Written by: James Dickens
Vice President of Editorial, Motorsport Network

Fan positivity reflected in strong

brand attributes
• Building on 2017 successes – F1 Brand perception and fan satisfaction
continue to improve.
• F1's Top 5 attributes: Exciting, Technological, Expensive, Competitive
and Entertaining
• A 50%+ improvement in brand health vs 2017 with growing sentiment
of F1 delivering the right balance of sport & entertainment
• F1 exceeding expectations on all key sporting attributes – exciting
racing, best drivers, fastest cars, most advanced technology with the
exception of a continuing desire for increased overtaking
• The need to attract new fans continues but at a reduced level

One of the most important elements to study and to track from these global fan surveys is the
response from fans on how they feel about their sport. Do they consider the sport to be in better
health than five years ago? What adjectives would they use to describe the sport as it is today? And as
F1 tries our new features and rules, do fans believe it has the right balance between sport and
entertainment?

In the 2015 Survey, conducted in association with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, a standout
feature was a sharp decline in fan satisfaction over a number of crucial brand elements, being highly
critical of both the sporting spectacle and F1’s governance of the time. With the evidence there for all
to see, it proved a major wake-up call for the sport.

In the 2017 Survey, which immediately followed Liberty Media’s takeover of F1, we recorded an
improvement in the fans’ positivity. Following on from that, one of the key objectives of the 2021
Study was to capture reaction to Liberty’s stewardship and to test the response to the years since its
acquisition.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Brand Health

We are pleased to report that the reaction from the global F1 fanbase is overwhelmingly
positive.

F1 Brand Attributes
The on-going improvement in fan satisfaction is clearly exemplified by the ranking of fans’
key F1 descriptors. In 2015, 2017 and 2021 we asked fans to indicate the five most-accurate
attributes of Formula 1 from an identical list:

Chart 5.1 | Formula 1 Brand Attributes (2010-2021)

The top five brand attributes in 2021 have been identified by fans as Exciting, Technological,
Expensive, Competitive and Entertaining. It is the first time that “entertaining” has entered the
top five attributes.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Brand Health

Supporting this evidence is the fans’ belief that F1 exceeds expectation for five of their top six most
important measures. We tested F1’s core attributes by weighing fan reaction for and against multiple
factors and offsetting the resulting positive and negative responses.

The results show that fans agreed F1 was exceeding expectation against many key measures:

Chart 5.2 | Formula 1 Brand Attribute Changes (2015 v. 2021)

Net Disagree
Net Agree

+33.3% | Delivers exciting racing

+42.4% | Features best drivers
+58.4% | Features fastest cars
-10.2% | Provides
+62.6% | Has pioneering technology
lots of
+1.9% | Features close competition overtaking

The only under-performing key attribute was that F1 ‘Provides lots of overtaking’ – this recorded a net
disagreement of -10.2%. This is clearly an area that it aims to improve with the 2022 rules set.

Chart 5.3 | Formula 1 Fans Levels of Net Agreement (2010-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Brand Health

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Brand Health

A particularly noteworthy finding in 2021 is the marked increase in the number of fans that view F1
as being healthier than before: 55% of fans agree with this sentiment, a 50% increase on 2017.
Additionally, there is strong agreement that F1 strikes the right balance between sport and entertainment.

While overall fan opinion of F1 has improved markedly, fans do continue to voice concerns regarding the
sport’s need to attract new fans. However, that number has declined significantly since 2017, a fact
supported with the significant increase in ‘new’ fans completing this Study.

The top five brand attributes are

“exciting, technological, expensive,
competitive and entertaining”

Chart 5.4 | Key Features of Formula 1 (2021)

regulations since 2015

80.0%

60.0%

40.0%

20.0%

0.0%

The 2021 Study records a continuing ‘wave of optimism’ among fans worldwide.

The upsurge in satisfaction, engagement and attitudes driven by F1’s change of ownership, revised
sporting regulations and commitment to enhanced digital and social media output.

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Brand Health

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

F1 Calendar
Written by: Jonathan Noble
F1 Editor, Motorsport Network

There’s nothing like being there

in person
• Three quarters of fans live in a country with a GP; but fewer than 20%
have attended in the past 5 years. Fewer than 13% of respondents have
travelled to a non-home GP since 2016.
• Fans in the Americas are least likely to travel to their ‘home’ GP, fans aged
45+ are twice as likely to travel to an ‘international’ GP
• Four GPs remain critical to all fans – Monza, Spa, Silverstone & Monaco
• Race cancellations in 2020/’21 have dented the voting for Canada,
Austin, Melbourne and Singapore
• Significant increase in popularity for Austria, Baku, Zandvoort and Bahrain
• For Race Promoters, the key GP features remain unchanged – ease of travel,
ease of parking, good vantage spots, a strong support race package,
together with Pit Lane Tours
• Fans willingness to pay 20% more on race tickets than 2017, mean 3-day
ticket price of $195 indicated

Formula 1 continues to be an increasingly media-driven sport, with less than 20% of Formula 1’s
most-avid fans attending a Grand Prix in the past five years. While 75% of Survey respondents reside in
a country with a ‘home’ Grand Prix; only 2.5% of fans have attended their local race each year since
2017.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

Chart 6.1 | GP Race Attendance Per Annum (2005-2021)

90.0%

80.0%

70.0%

60.0%

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

Chart 6.2 | Preferred Number of GPs Per Season (2005-2021)

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

The Perfect Calendar

Since 2010 our studies have focused attention on capturing fan feedback on the preferred shape of
the F1 calendar.

In 2021, we once again asked fans to indicate a maximum of 5 events identical to the annual F1
calendar. Based on our feedback from 2010, ’15, ’17 and ’21, we have an increasingly clear and
consistent vision of the ‘perfect’ F1 season. The table below shows the cumulative appeal of F1
venues over the past 11 years.

The feedback allows us to segment the F1 calendar into four clear categories, spanning:

• The Untouchables (4):

Monaco, Monza, Silverstone, Spa

• The Popular Perennials (5):

Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, USA

• The New Favourites (3):

Azerbaijan, Abu Dhabi, Singapore

• The Welcome Returnees (4):

Germany, France, Austria, Netherlands

Chart 6.3 | Fans’ Ranking of GP Importance (2005-2021)

Beyond these 16 ‘core’ events the picture is less clear-cut and has certainly been impacted by the
cancellation of races in 2020 and ’21 due to COVID-19.

Perennial favourites such as Melbourne, Austin, Montreal, Brazil and Singapore have all been negatively
impacted, as have Spain, France and Germany. This contrasts to events at returning venues or
‘double-header’ events in 2020/21 – including Turkey, Bahrain, Austria and The Netherlands – all of which
have all benefitted from a boost in popularity. The race enjoying the biggest rise in fan appeal is
Azerbaijan, having been witness to a number of memorable races since its first appearance in 2017.

While the established events in Hungary and Mexico continue to enjoy ratings of between 5%-7%, the
Grands Prix in China and Russia have yet to capture significant appeal among F1’s global audience. In the
24 2021 survey, they each recorded a rating lower than that of Miami, which is yet to host an event.
Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

The F1 Promoters Guide – The table below illustrates the relative

[1] Grand Prix Features importance of event features in
While global F1 fans predominantly enjoy attracting fans – the most important
the sport through third-party media factors being ease of travel and
channels; F1 continues to attract significant on-event parking, good vantage
event attendees, driving competition points for race viewing, F1 Pit Lane &
among nations, regions and cities to join Paddock access, together with a
one of sport’s most exclusive clubs. strong support race programme and
With over 18,500 respondents to the 2021 a good range of accommodation
Study hailing from Europe, Americas, options.
Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa having Interestingly, feedback among the
attended at least one GP in the past five Study’s audience of predominantly
years, their feedback provides F1 avid fans shows the relative low
promoters with an invaluable insight into importance for additional event
key GP features – including ticket pricing entertainment – such as live music
information – to drive increased attendance concerts – which have become a
for the future. regular feature for some rounds of
the F1 Calendar in recent years.

The classic races Monza, Spa, Silverstone

and Monaco are important to fans of all
ages

Chart 6.4 | GP Features Influencing Attendance (2015-2021)

-60.0% -40.0% -20.0% 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

[2] Grand Prix Ticket Pricing Good Value

In 2021 we once again explored the impact 21.2% increase (5.3% pa) from $96.99 to $117.53
of ticket pricing on fan attendance at F1
events and compared this is to previous Reasonable Value
findings from 2015 and 2017. We used a 20.8% increase (5.2% pa) from $120.72 to $145.82
benchmark of a three-day General
Admission Adult Ticket with fans asked to Expensive
state their opinion on prices in either £, € or 50.0% increase (12.5% pa) from 163.15 to $244.75
$ representing:
Too Expensive
66.5% increase (16.6% pa) from $208.17 to $346.62
• Good Value

• Reasonable Value

• Expensive

• Too Expensive

Responses were collated and converted into a standardized US$ measure based on prevailing
exchange rates.

In the period between 2017 and 2021 we recorded fans’ willingness to pay rise by between 20% -
65%.

On average, expectations rose as follows:

Chart 6.5 | GP Ticket Pricing - 3 Day Adult Ticket ($) (2015-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Calendar

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

F1 Media Landscape
Written by: Jessica McFadyen
Director of Digital Strategy, Motorsport Network

How F1's audience is totally 'tuned in'

to the sport
• Specialist F1 websites and Pay TV are the most used destination for
content, especially among fans aged 35+
• Free-to-air F1 TV viewing declines (56%) since 2017
• Twitter continues as #1 most used social platform, closely followed by
Instagram, which is #1 most used channel among 16–24-year-olds.
Facebook usage has declined
• Most respondents (85%) are watching more than 13 GPs per season.
Over 85% of fans watch full race content from lights to flag, no decline in
viewing duration among younger audience
• For the future fans overwhelming call for watching full race coverage via
Live TV or Streaming

If the 2021 Global F1 Fans Survey tells us anything, it is that the strategy of F1 management as well as the
teams and drivers to engage new audiences via digital and social media is working. The success of Netflix
“Drive to Survive” behind the scenes documentary series has been to open the sport up to new, younger and
more diverse audiences, making the sport more accessible. And the funnel is then working as new fans
engage with the rich social media content served up by F1, the teams and drivers as well as by independent
media platforms. It is also clearly a contributory factor in the rankings this time on favourite drivers and teams.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

Chart 7.1 | Formula 1 Media Consumption Habits (2005-2021)

Media Consumption By Platform

Pay TV and specialist motorsport websites are the leading platforms for fans to access F1 news
and information both during and outside of GP weekends, with over 50% of fans regularly
accessing these media channels for their F1 related content.

However, the main shop window for the In terms of regional variances, the study
on track action is live television and the showed that fans in the Americas and
percentage of fans accessing F1 through Middle East/Africa were more likely to
free-to-air television, which had been frequently access free-to-air TV for F1
declining slowly since 2005, experienced coverage, access was lowest in Asia-Pacific
an accelerated rate of decline since the where fewer than one-in-five use this
2017 – with the number of fans regularly method.
using free-to-air TV as a source of their F1
content falling by half to under 30%.

Regular fan usage of Social Media continues to increase. In 2021 just over 40% of fans regularly
access Twitter, F1’s most accessed platform for their F1 information needs – up from 31% in
2017. Instagram recorded the largest individual service growth since 2017, more than doubling
its F1 active audience from 17% to 37%. Facebook’s usage among F1 fans declined by 40% to
20%.

Along with free-to-air TV, traditional media platforms – particularly newspapers and radio –
together with General Sports websites continued to suffer from sharp declines in usage.

General Sports websites declined further in 2021, down from a third (2017) to less than a
quarter in 2021. Print media – including newspapers and specialist magazines – continued to
decline in usage; now standing at 5.2% and 4.9% respectively. Radio declined further to 2.6%
usage.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

The most important media platforms for Formula 1 are undoubtedly TV, both paid and free-to-air, and
specialist websites.

Chart 7.2 Number of GPs Watched by Season (2005-2021)

race build-up and post-race analysis (See Chart 7.3).

Chart 7.3 | Quantity of GP Broadcast Viewed (2010-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

Over the F1 race weekend Outside of the GP weekend

TV leads the way with 80% of fans habitually Unsurprisingly, the usage of all media channels
accessing TV for their F1 content. Frequent falls outside of F1 race weekends as specialist
usage increases to nearly 100% when we websites and social media platforms overtakes
include use of streamed content. In contrast, TV, both paid and free-to-air, in usage.
51% of fans use specialist motorsport
websites frequently for news and information Specialist websites continue to enjoy high
over an F1 race weekend. levels of usage with over 40% of fans
frequently accessing them for F1-related
Pay TV usage is at its highest in the UK, content. While social media access declines
Australia, France, Germany, Spain and slightly from race weekend levels, Twitter and
Poland and at its lowest in the United States, Instagram especially maintain the bulk of their
Canada, Turkey, India, Mexico and Brazil. audience – both recording 35% frequent
Corresponding those markets show the usage outside of the F1 weekend.
highest uptake of free-to-air TV.
Nearly 85% of the fans surveyed watch more
Over 50% of fans regularly access specialist the 13 Grands Prix on television per season –
motorsport websites during the F1 weekend continuing the increase from 2015 and ’17
with usage being highest in Japan, France, studies and is further evidence of the sport’s
Turkey, Poland and Mexico. Accessing of improving perception and appeal – together
specialist websites over the F1 weekend is at with the gradual shift towards acceptance and
its lowest in UK, Australia and Spain. penetration of Pay TV among the fanbase.

Formula 1 fans displayed a clear

preference for viewing races in full,
live on TV
Chart 7.4 | Fans’ Future Viewing Preferences (2015-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

Fans are prepared to commit significant time engaging with the sport, with nearly 90% of fans watching an
entire race from lights to flag. It is also noteworthy that there is no noticeable decline in viewing duration
among the younger F1 fanbase; with 88% of fans aged 16-34 watching the full race.

Future Viewing Preferences

Mirroring our work in 2015 and ’17, we again captured fan feedback on how fans wish to consume F1 in
the future. We pushed for a definitive response from fans, to provide a single preference for future
viewing rather than a range of possible viewing options.

Reinforcing the findings from 2017, fans displayed a clear preference for viewing F1 live on TV with over
95% stating a preference for full race live coverage either via TV or digital streaming. Recorded race or
recorded highlights has a very low of support at 2.5%

Chart 7.5 | Impact of Pay TV On Formula 1 Viewing (2015-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Media Landscape

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Competitors

F1 Competitors
Written by: Oleg Karpov
F1 Network Editor, Motorsport Network

Big changes in the F1 popularity

contest
• Max Verstappen is F1’s most popular driver, closely followed by Lando
Norris with Lewis Hamilton in third
• Max popular within the 25-45 age range, with Lando enjoying strong
support among female fans and fans aged 16-24. Lewis scores strongly
in 45+ age group
• Verstappen ranked #1 in the US, Japan & Netherlands with Hamilton
ranked # 1 in the UK, Brazil & Canada
• Daniel Ricciardo is fourth ahead of Sebastian Vettel in fifth
• F1’s crop of young stars – Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, George Russell
and Pierre Gasly – all score well
• While over two-thirds of fans support a number of teams and drivers,
McLaren’s popular driver line-up helps secure the support of nearly 30%
of respondents – making it F1’s most popular team
• Red Bull Racing is boosted by Max’s popularity rise to second place in the
team ranking, with Ferrari falling back to third – the first time it has not been
F1’s favourite team in our surveys

F1 is non-tribal
One of the most interesting learnings from the Global F1 Fan Surveys is that Formula 1 continues to engage
fans on a sport-first basis, in sharp contrast to most team-based sports, especially ball sports. F1 fans are not
typically, or overtly, tribal in their support.

Nearly two-thirds of F1 fans follow a number of teams and drivers, and while there is a slight preference
among fans to favour drivers over teams, the overall effect is minimal. However, as the results of the 2021
Survey show, there is evidence that a well-liked driver line-up can have a significant impact on overall team
popularity.

Max Verstappen registers strong support

across all age groups and all geographies

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Competitors

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Competitors

Drivers Lando has built a broad base of appeal

One of the biggest news stories to come across geographies and age groups. While
from the 2021 Global Fan Survey is the not a standout leader in many markets, he
rise of the younger generation of F1 ranks #2 in the UK, Germany, Australia,
stars, whose appeal to the new, more Netherlands and Canada. His appeal among
diverse and social media savvy female fans and F1’s younger audience
audiences is growing rapidly. (16-24) is unrivalled – over a quarter of all
female F1 fans rank Lando as their favourite
In 2017, we noted the rise in popularity and he enjoys #1 status for more than one in
of Dutch driver Max Verstappen. In five of all fans aged under 25.
2021, he now ranks as F1’s favourite
driver, with one third of F1 fans placing Although he drops from #1 in 2017 to #3
Max in their Top 3 drivers and 14.4% overall this year, Lewis Hamilton continues to
declaring him as their favourite. enjoy vast support around the globe and is
Although his orange army of fans at ranked #1 in fans aged 45+. However, his
races is highly visible, this result is not appeal – and that of fellow multiple World
driven by local partisan forces; Max Champion Fernando Alonso – appears more
registers strong support across all age polarized than most.
groups and all geographies. He is
particular popular in the US and Japan Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo (10%) and
as well as the Netherlands. His Sebastian Vettel (9%) enjoy continuing
popularity is not exclusive to the popularity among fans with strong home
younger audience; he also scores highly market support in Australia and Germany
in the 35-54 age group. respectively.

Marking his spectacular arrival into F1, The appeal of the exciting crop of young
Lando Norris has grabbed fan attention stars - under the age of 25 - provides an
and appeal in quite astonishing fashion. ample source of optimism for F1’s future:
While yet to win a race in Formula 1, Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and George
over 40% of fans placed Lando in their Russell all join Lando on the list of F1’s Top
Top 3 favourite drivers, with 13.7% of 10 most-popular drivers.
fans choosing him as their absolute
favourite.

Chart 8.1 | Formula 1 Driver Ranking (2015-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Competitors

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Competitors

Teams
Aided by the popularity of its driver line-up, the 2021 Global Fan Survey recorded a significant shift in team
popularity towards McLaren, whose on-track renaissance mirrored its off-track appeal. McLaren’s popularity
among fans nearly doubled from 15.8% in 2017 to 29.5% in 2021.

McLaren recorded nearly 50% popularity among female fans, while 40% of the 16-24 age group ranked
them as their #1. It was the top-ranked team in the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Brazil. Regionally,
McLaren was ranked #1 in Europe, The Americas and Middle East & Africa – falling to #2 in Asia-Pacific
behind Red Bull Racing.

Red Bull continued its impressive record of improving popularity in every study since 2008. In 2021, RBR
was ranked as the favourite team by nearly one in five of all F1 fans, up from 14% in 2017. This popularity
was driven by very strong support in Japan (home of engine partner Honda), The Netherlands and Mexico.

As a result of the moves by McLaren and Red Bull, the popularity of Ferrari and Mercedes dropped – the
two most-supported teams in 2017 became #3 and #4 in 2021. And while local support in Italy and the UK
– coupled with driver support in France, Spain and the UK – helped bolster their position, ultimately their
driver appeal couldn’t match the approval ratings of the line-ups at McLaren and Red Bull.

In each of our previous studies, Ferrari’s support and popularity has been truly global, leading to it being
the #1 ranked team in each study undertaken since 2006. However, that position of leadership in 2017 –
with 32% global preference – is now at 18% which placed it third in overall team popularity in 2021.
Previously, Ferrari ranked #1 most popular team in every major region. In 2021 it has country
market-leadership in France, Spain, Turkey and, of course, Italy.

Mercedes’ popularity, meanwhile moved from 16.2% in 2017 to 11.9% in 2021.

Beyond the clear top four positions, notable improvements in popularity were recorded by Alpine and by
the Aston Martin team (which was called Force India in the 2017 survey). AlphaTauri recorded the largest
overall percentage increase, Red Bull’s sister team quadrupled its fan support to 2.4% – driven by the
popularity of both Pierre Gasly (#1 ranked driver in France) and newcomer Yuki Tsunoda.

Support for Williams and Haas fell against the 2017 numbers, while Alfa Romeo remained relatively
unchanged at 0.8%.

Chart 8.2 | Formula 1 Team Ranking (2006-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Competitors

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Sporting Regulations

F1 Sporting Regulations
Written by: Ben Anderson
Editor, GP Racing

Fans want sustainable fuels, but no

gimmicks in format
• Two-thirds of fans are aware of F1’s drive towards introducing sustainable
fuels by mid 2020s. Fans identify being a world leader in
developing sustainable fuels as F1’s #1 priority – outscoring all other
sporting considerations
• All markets show strong awareness (67%) of F1’s sustainability ambitions,
awareness peaks in UK, Germany, Netherlands, India and Brazil

• Fans support moves for less Stewards’ involvement, except in regards of

dangerous driving
• Continuing support for competition between tyre suppliers, especially
among fans 35+; this group also support a return to refueling
• Sprint races are viewed as having marginally improved the F1 show but
fans do not want them introduced at every race
• Fans continue to dismiss perceived artificial race manipulation – reverse
grids, success ballast, technical freeze

The F1 Global Fan Surveys have a long track record of aggregating fan opinion and initiating dialogue and
sporting changes within the sport.

In 2021 the standout feedback from fans was the need for Formula 1 to be seen to be taking a lead in
developing sustainable fuels.

In November 2019, Formula 1 announced an ambitious sustainability target of becoming net carbon zero by
2030. The introduction of E10 biofuel in 2022 is the first step in a development programme to introduce
sustainable fuels by the mid-2020s and adopt third generation 100% synthetic biofuel by 2030.

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Sporting Regulations

Fans were asked both for their awareness and reaction to the initiative:

In terms of awareness, two thirds of F1 In terms of importance, fans were asked

fans are aware of the commitment to to express their opinion on a number of
introducing sustainable fuels by the sporting issues including the
mid-2020s. Awareness was high (67%) importance of F1 being a global
in all major markets and geographic pioneer in the development of
regions; peaking in UK (71%), Germany sustainable fuels. Fan feedback ranked
(74%), Netherlands (71%), India (74%), this as F1’s #1 sporting priority with
Poland (72%) and Brazil (72%). 66% of fans agreeing with the
Awareness was slightly higher among statement and only 12% disagreeing –
males (68%) and within the 16-24 age the net positive result of +54% was the
group (68%). strongest of all results tested.

Chart 9.1 | Fans’ Preference for Formula 1 Sporting Changes (2015-2021)

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Sporting Regulations

In addition to leadership in the development of sustainable fuels, fans’ opinion split into three broad categories:

Strong Support

• Leave drivers free to race without intervention, except for dangerous driving +39.5%
• Introduction of more than one tyre suppler +38.5%

Note: Support for the introduction of more than one tyre supplier continues to decline from 2015 (70.6%) to
55.5% in 2017. The strongest support for the change is in the 45-65+ age group.

Uncommitted

A continuing theme from our previous studies highlights a number of areas where fan reaction is split:

• In-race refueling to be reintroduced + 9.3%

• An additional third driver race should be run each GP weekend + 7.7%
• Introduction of Sprint race has improved the show + 6.7%
• Teams should be able to purchase and run customer cars + 6.5%
• F1 should strictly impose track limits + 2.9%
• Points should be awarded for Qualifying (outside of Sprints) - 9.1%

In terms of trends, the appeal for the re-introduction of in race refueling, buying and running customer cars and
points awarded for qualifying are all declining; with a small increase in the appeal of a third driver race at each
GP. In the case of in race refueling, observing track limits and operating customer cars – like the reintroduction
of tyre competition – these developments are supported most by male fans and those aged 35 and over.

No Support

As with previous F1 Studies, any interventions which are viewed as artificially manipulating or influencing the
racing spectacle are widely disliked by fans, as is any initiative that reduces pioneering technology and/or
innovation in F1.

• Introduction success ballast (handicap system) for winning teams -27.8%

• Force drivers to use all three tyre compounds at each race -39.4%
• Introduce Sprint races at every GP -43.0%
• Introduce reverse grid system -51.5%
• Annual freeze on car design -63.5%

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | F1 Sporting Regulations

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Gaming and Esports

Gaming and Esports

Written by: Luke Smith
F1 reporter, Autosport

Online gaming grows in appeal

• Over 50% of respondents regularly engage in motorsport gaming, with
participation highest (61%) among the 16-24 age group and fans in
Asia-Pacific & Europe more actively engaged
• Male fans (59%) are three times more likely to engage than female fans
(19%)
• Console-based gaming remains the most popular platform for over 60%+
of all respondents; scores particularly highly among fans in 35-44 age
range
• Online gaming participation has increased by over 50% since 2017
• Viewing and participation in online esports leagues remains in its infancy.
The F1 Esports League dominates, but attracts < 25% viewing among
esports engaged fans; interestingly female fans record higher viewing
figures than males (30% vs 24%)
• Participation in Esports Leagues is low across the board, with the F1
Esports League the market leader with only 1.9% engagement
• The Official F1 2020/21 game increases its dominance in both
engagement and preference
• F1 2020/21 was played by over 70% of gamers, 2.5 times more than its
nearest competitor, Gran Turismo. It is also the gamers favourite title with
over 46% placing it at #1; more than 3.5 times more popular than its
nearest competitor

One of the fastest growing sectors of motorsport is gaming and esports. F1 lends itself ideally to gaming for
several reasons: it is followed globally and fans can race against each other across geographies in real time,
plus the controls used by the gamer or esports competitor are identical to a real F1 driver – steering wheel,
gearshift paddles, brakes and throttle.

Because simulation an important part of a Grand Prix driver’s life, the younger F1 racers are especially active
in esports leagues and competitions. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many leading F1 drivers participated in
virtual esports races, particularly Virtual F1 Grands Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, competing
against regular gamers.

The 2017 Study was the first to survey fans on engagement with the motorsport gaming and esports sector,
and not surprisingly the 2021 survey shows growth in this sector. But it has to be filtered carefully as the 2021
response has a far larger make up of female respondents, and females are significantly less engaged in
playing games and esports. However, they do show a higher propensity than males to watch esports
48 competitions.
Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Gaming and Esports

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Gaming and Esports

In terms of gaming platforms, we recorded a shift away a from console based to online gaming.

Console-based gaming remains by far the most popular format for esports, with nearly two-thirds (63%)
of participants engaged via their PlayStation, Nintendo or XBox; down from the 2017 usage of 75%.
However, online gaming via computer has increased sharply from 29.5% in 2017 to 45% in 2021.

In common with the results from 2017, most F1 fans who engage in esports do so on an individual basis;
this covers 90% of motorsport gamers – similar to the gaming patterns recorded in 2017. The incidence
of active involvement in online leagues or multi-player gaming with friends remains constant from 2017
at 11.8% and 32.6% respectively.

Chart 10.1 | Motorsport Gaming Audience by Age Profile (2021)

In 2021, 30.0% of fans viewed esports racing online. The F1 Esports Series is the dominant
market leader with 24.2% of the sample viewing in the past 12 months. Other well-supported
series were FIA Gran Turismo Championships (5.3%) and Le Mans Esports Series (4.8%).
Formula E’s Accelerate Series was the fourth most watched with 2.1% viewership in the past 12
months.
Chart 10.2 | Esports Gaming Platform by Region and Age Profile (2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Gaming and Esports

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Gaming and Esports

Chart 10.3 | Gaming Environment/Player-Mode (2021)

Looking at the breakdown by age; the highest level of engagement are in the 16-24 age
group at 39.2% – of which 33.7% viewed the F1 Esports Series. And while esports participation
was markedly lower among our female audience, female fans showed a higher interest in
viewing esports content than their male counterparts. Viewing of the F1 Esports Series among
female fans was recorded at 30.4% compared to 23.9% for males. While 30% of the Survey
respondents had engaged in esports viewership in the past 12 months, active participation
was only 4% of fans in the last year. The only series to register any notable active participation
among the survey sample were F1 Esports Series (1.9%) and FIA Gran Turismo Championship
(1.8%).

In terms of the individual gaming series played by fans, the official F1-licenced series continues
to dominate the market in terms of both market penetration and preference. Continuing its
market dominance from 2017, we recorded that 72.3% of fans had played F1 2020/21 in the
past 12 months, with 46% of them ranking it as their #1 game – more than three and half times
as popular as the second-placed title Gran Turismo (13%). Notable increases in market
penetration and preference were recorded for Forza Horizon (31% played / 9% favourite) and
Assetta Corsa (27% / 7%).

Chart 10.4 | Esports Titles played (2017-2021)

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Gaming and Esports

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | 2021 Survey Key Statistics

2021 Survey
Key Statistics
The 2021 Global F1 Fan Survey was A total of 167,302 completed responses
commissioned, created, governed and were collected and submitted for analysis;
delivered by Motorsport Network between making this, the largest single sports
August and October 2021. study analysed in F1.

This Study builds on Motorsport Network’s Survey questionnaire construction &

previous work with the Grand Prix Drivers testing, data analysis and results
Association [GPDA] conducted in May interpretation were conducted by industry
2015 and with the Federation experts, Nielsen Sports, with project
Internationale de l’Automobile in 2017. It is planning, management, co-ordination
the latest volume in a series of global fan and reporting provided by Ian Burrows of
insight programmes initiated in 2005. MPA Commercial. Thanks to more
intuitive design, the average completion
The 2021 Survey was constructed, tested time was reduced to a little over 10
and translated into 15 languages. It was minutes.
hosted via a common, multi-lingual website
at f1-global-fan-survey.motorsport.com. The survey process from initial concept to
report delivery was completed by
Motorsport Network and its expert
partners in just 15 weeks.

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | 2021 Survey Key Statistics

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 Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | About

About Motorsport Network

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Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 | Index of Charts

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