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Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Formula 1 Is Exploding in Popularity Among Women
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Formula 1, a historically male-dominated sport, has seen a rise in popularity among women. In July, Formula 1 (F1) and Motorsport Network released their 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey, a large study that takes place every four years to gain insight into the global F1 community. More than 100,000 responses from 186 countries revealed a shift toward a young female fan base, with significant growth in the United States. "Female fans now account for three in four new fans," reported. "Most are newer to the sport and skew younger, with nearly half of all Gen Z respondents being women." History of Women in Formula 1 The 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey revealed Formula 1's fan base is shifting toward young women. The 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey revealed Formula 1's fan base is shifting toward young women. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty This year marks 75 years since Formula 1 began in 1950, with the first-ever race at the Silverstone Circuit in England. Since then, five women have competed in a Grand Prix: Maria Teresa de Filippis, Lella Lombardi, Divina Galica, Desiré Wilson and Giovanna Amati. Amati was the most recent woman to compete in 1992. Despite a lack of female driver representation, women have been forging successful careers in Formula 1 for years, and with the launch of the F1 Academy in 2023, the sport's landscape is changing. Susie Wolff is the managing director of the F1 Academy and began her motorsport career in karting. She went on to compete in Formula Renault, Formula 3 and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, before making history at the 2014 British Grand Prix for being the first woman to participate in a grand prix weekend in over 20 years. At the time, she drove in the first practice session for Williams Racing. And Bernadette "Bernie" Collins is a strategy analyst for Sky Sports and F1TV. She was featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list and previously worked as the strategy engineer for the Aston Martin F1 team. In January 2025, Haas' Laura Mueller became the first full-time female to take on the role of race engineer. She works directly with Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon, bridging the gap between him and the team and ensuring the car's maximum performance during a race weekend. Formula 1 Launches F1 Academy "I've seen a slow but growing shift in the number of women working in our sport," said Lia Block, adding she has noticed the change in the paddock, but that it wasn't limited to F1 but the "entirety of the motorsport world." Lia Block is a driver for Williams Racing in the F1 Academy's 2024 and 2025 seasons. The F1 Academy was announced in 2022 and began in 2023. It's a women-only, Formula four-level series founded by Formula 1 that develops young talent, with the goal of progressing them into higher levels of the sport including the W Series, Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3, Formula 1 said in their announcement. Earlier this year, F1: The Academy—a docuseries produced by Reese Witherspoon's company, Hello Sunshine—made its global debut on Netflix and offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of the 15 drivers competing in the championship. Lia Block credited her father for her passion for car racing and followed in his footsteps as the ARA Rally Champion in 2023—the youngest champion in the series' history. The 18-year-old is the daughter of late rally car legend Ken Block, and she began karting as a preteen. "It makes me so happy to go back to my local karting track and see multiple young girls racing in each class, versus six years ago when I first started karting and was the only girl in the entire series," she said. "My love of racing began early, as I grew up in the motorsports world, watching my dad," she said. "I was always surrounded by loud cars and got sucked into it without realizing it. I tried different sports growing up, but eventually started racing off-road at 11 years old." Lia Block's career has mostly been off-road and rally-style racing, so securing a spot in the F1 Academy "has been such an honor," the teen told Newsweek. Lia Block arrives in the paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 20, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. Lia Block arrives in the paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 20, 2024 in Barcelona, ' Drive to Survive' Effect In 2018, Liberty Media—the American owner of Formula 1—announced it would end the long-running tradition of using grid girls, or female promotional models, on the starting grid. A year later, Drive to Survive premiered on Netflix and documented the 2018 World Championship. So far, the hit show has had seven seasons and picked up two Sports Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Sports Documentary Series – Serialized" in 2022 and 2025. According to Drive to Survive has garnered a cumulative audience of over 700 million people worldwide since its launch. James Bower, commercial director at Atlassian Williams Racing, told Newsweek: "Drive to Survive has definitely been a major reason for the growing the female audience—and the audience overall—particularly in the U.S." He added, however, that the documentary—which offers a peek inside the lives of the Formula 1 drivers, team owners and team principals—"definitely isn't the only reason." "We have seen F1's popularity boom since it was acquired by Liberty Media in 2017 when there was a big effort to open up social media, get new races on the calendar like the three we now have in America, and really bring the sport closer to the fans," Bower continued. "That is something we embrace at Atlassian Williams Racing, hosting downtown Fan Zones at major races like Austin, Miami, Las Vegas, Singapore and in London, so that fans have the chance to get up close to cars and see their heroes in person." Brett A. Boyle, associate professor of marketing at Saint Louis University, whose research includes sports business, agreed that Drive to Survive has played a key role in F1's growth. "Formula 1 has seen a surge in popularity among young women. Much of that has been due to Netflix's Drive to Survive, which transformed the sport into a character-driven drama, spotlighting rivalries and personal stories." Boyle pointed out that "motorsports—unlike other sports—is challenged by the fact that you cannot see the participants doing their work. However, Drive to Survive and similar productions lift the veil to humanize the drivers, creating compelling backstories." Mike Lewis, professor of marketing at Emory University, whose work focuses on the intersection of sports analytics and sports marketing, echoed similar sentiments. "One of the more significant trends affecting fandom is the ability of organizations to develop compelling narratives. This seems to be especially true for female fans—the Olympics and the featuring of backstories are a prime example," he told Newsweek. "Drive to Survive has brought significant attention to F1 and also provided a vehicle to build compelling narratives. For a sport without geographic connections, this has been an ideal way to build fandom." Rob Bloom, chief marketing officer at Aston Martin, said that over the last 10 years, F1 "has leaned more heavily into the lifestyle and human story, particularly through platforms like Drive to Survive, TikTok and more recently, the F1 movie." "It's certainly brought more interest than ever before to the sport," he told Newsweek. "Within this growth is a new era of fans who are younger, and predominantly female—the fastest growing demographic of F1 fan is 16-24." 'F1: The Movie' Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton attend the Apple Original Films & Warner Bros. Pictures "F1: The Movie" World Premiere in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City. Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton attend the Apple Original Films & Warner Bros. Pictures "F1: The Movie" World Premiere in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City."F1 is enjoying an explosion in popularity, as we have just seen with the release of F1: The Movie, which Williams was delighted to help bring to the screen—the wind tunnel in the movie is actually our wind tunnel at our Grove HQ," Bower said. "Giving F1 the Hollywood treatment will introduce the sport to a whole new audience, and we have also seen major consumer brands coming in to F1 like Lego, LVMH and PepsiCo, which will help extend its reach and appeal." F1: The Movie was produced by seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and features a star-studded cast including Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem. In addition to famous actors, many Formula 1 drivers—like four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and current World Championship leader Oscar Piastri—made cameos. The film was released in June and has grossed over $512 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Celebrities are often seen enjoying the high-octane action in the paddock on race day. At this year's British Grand Prix, A-listers in attendance included Tom Holland, Keanu Reeves, Vin Diesel, Olivia Wilde and Tony Hawk. The checkered flag is also usually waved by a famous face, with Damson Idris doing the honors at Silverstone. "F1 is being marketed as a global lifestyle brand, with races in glamorous locations like Monaco, Miami and Las Vegas. These sites blend the race with fashion and celebrity," Boyle said. "Social media platforms have amplified the trend, giving rise to fan culture that thrives on memes, commentary and driver posts. This also plays into a young female's interests." The Power of Social Media Bloom added that "in addition to Drive to Survive, many newer, younger fans are connecting with Formula 1 through social media and entertainment platforms—particularly TikTok. The use of social media by teams, drivers and fans has unlocked unprecedented access, connecting the sport's global fan base on a more human level." He added the trend is "only getting stronger," and cited current Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso as an example. "Just look at how Fernando Alonso has embraced TikTok, to the extent of him being named 'TikTok Personality of the Year' in Spain." Bower told Newsweek that at Williams Racing, they're "giving as much behind-the-scenes access on our social media channels" as possible "to show what F1 is really like and the people that make it tick." "The ability for fans to learn more about the drivers, their personalities and their lifestyles has definitely helped [Formula 1's popularity]," he said. "It is about showing the humans behind the heroes—these are 20 gladiators battling it out on track when the helmet is on and the visor is down, but fans have never had so much access to what they are like out of the car." "Drive to Survive is part of that, but the drivers are also able to use social media to connect directly with fans and bring them into their own worlds, rather than only being able to see them from the grandstands." "Today's sport fans, especially the younger generations, are drawn to the personal stories and attributes of athletes," Andrea N. Geurin, professor of sports business at New York University's Tisch Institute for Global Sport, told Newsweek. Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Yuki Tsunoda poses for a selfie with a fan prior to practice ahead of the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit on July 4, 2025 in Towcester, England. Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Yuki Tsunoda poses for a selfie with a fan prior to practice ahead of the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit on July 4, 2025 in Towcester, England."Drive to Survive, as well as social media, gives fans behind-the-scenes access to these drivers and allows them to develop a more personal connection," she shared. "This access to athletes' lives and personalities means that fans can identify with certain drivers who share similar interests, values or personality traits." T. Bettina Cornwell, head of the Department of Marketing at the University of Oregon, whose area of expertise includes sports marketing, told Newsweek that "social media engagement now would not have been as impactful without the circuit expansion that preceded it." In 2015, the Formula 1 season consisted of 20 races, one of which got canceled. Today, there are 24 Grand Prix races and several new tracks in the United States. The first Miami Grand Prix was held in May 2022, and F1 returned to Las Vegas in 2023 after its last competition in Sin City in the 1980s. "F1 had been primarily a European-centric sport, but recent growth of circuits in Asia and America laid the foundation for expansion," Cornwell said. "There is really nothing like seeing F1 racing in person and the ability to 'feel one with F1' is central to social identification with the sport. It is these experiences that develop attendees into fans." The Formula 1 grid currently consists of 10 teams and 20 drivers, however, that will change in 2026. Cadillac, an American automobile manufacturer, will be added to the lineup next year and feature two more drivers. "Having a U.S.-based auto company competing in F1 will help to draw in American sports and motorsports fans who might not have given as much attention to F1 in the past," Geurin said. "Now, with a Cadillac team, these fans will feel like they have a team to support based on their national pride, which can be a major driver of sport fandom. F1's recent fan report showed that three out of four new fans are female, so if that trend continues, then the Cadillac team will certainly help to draw in new female fans from the U.S." Lissie Mackintosh, 'Filling a Gap' It is through social media that Lissie Mackintosh, now a Formula 1 presenter and content creator, has made a name for herself. "I started watching F1 years ago, when it wasn't as well-known as it is now. After years of watching the sport, I began creating content as a young F1 viewer who wanted to see more online about the sport I loved and just couldn't find it," Mackintosh told Newsweek. "So I guess in that way I was filling a gap." Mackintosh, 25—who earned a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list as the youngest presenter at Formula 1—said she's been "able to show hundreds of thousands of young aspiring female fans that they can do it too, being a visual representation of Asian minorities and women in the paddock." "It was tough because no one had ever done that before, creating content in F1 as a full-time job, so I had no one's shoes to step into and I didn't know if it could go anywhere." The U.K. native noted that a "turning point" came "a few months after making F1 videos" when "Aston Martin invited me to their car launch as an official creator." "That's when I knew that even though no one had done it before, I had to keep going," she shared. Mackintosh currently boasts 430,900 followers on TikTok and has another 346,000 on Instagram. Her interview style is a mix of both "serious content" and "funny videos." "I never would have believed the last four years could have looked how they have—from joining the presenting team at F1 for two seasons, to now working with teams, sponsors and brands to create interviews which I have full creative control in." Mackintosh highlighted other women's achievements in F1, like Mueller and Wolff, and said she "devotes a huge portion of my work to covering women's sports like F1 academy through interviews and race weekends." Lissie Mackintosh attends the European premiere of "F1: The Movie" at Cineworld, Leicester Square on June 23, 2025 in London, England. Lissie Mackintosh attends the European premiere of "F1: The Movie" at Cineworld, Leicester Square on June 23, 2025 in London, Warner Bros. Pictures Formula 1's Future Formula 1's revitalization is something other sports "would like to replicate" one day, Geurin told Newsweek. "With new sport leagues and teams being introduced around the world every year, the competition for leagues to attract and maintain fans is fiercer than it's ever been," she said. "F1 has done an amazing job engaging new and younger fans by meeting these fans where they are—on streaming platforms and social media." Additionally, Formula 1 has "shown that they care about women" through programs like the F1 Academy, Geurin continued, "so it is no surprise that they've been successful in growing their female fan base."
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I lived my F1 dream but the sport wasn't awash with cash like it is now, says PAUL DI RESTA... Sometimes teams couldn't even pay for hotels!
To live out your dream is the ultimate goal. Even for the few who achieve it, however, the dream sometimes doesn't last long enough. Paul Di Resta knows this first hand. The Scot took the conventional racing route through karting, stepping up through Formula Renault, Formula Three, and DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) with Mercedes. Then came the breakthrough as he found a place within the McLaren testing team and, ultimately, Force India at Formula One level in 2010. Di Resta seemingly had everything he could have asked for. He took part in testing for that first season, then signed a deal to become a main driver in 2011, securing points in his debut race at the Australian Grand Prix and picking up points in several more races that season. Life was good. After two more consistent if not spectacular seasons, including a fourth-placed finish in Bahrain, Di Resta received the news that Force India would not be retaining him for the 2014 season. The dream had come to an abrupt end. These days Di Resta spends his weekends racing in the FIA's World Endurance Championship 'It's all about opportunity, says a now 39-year-old Di Resta. 'It depends if you can get there. There came a point where I became too old, people didn't really look at you. You don't want age to be a thing, but it is. 'With F1, you have to be right time, right place. There was a lot of difficulty at the time when I finished, going through the financial crisis, F1 wasn't in the shape it's in at the moment with sponsorship and budgets overflowing. 'I was there when it was absolutely critical that people supported it. There were times at some Grands Prix when some teams couldn't pay for hotels and whatever. 'So I probably hit it at the wrong time in that sense, that's what stopped the journey. There's the age thing, too, just getting a break. There's other people who didn't make it to Formula One who should have got there, and I keep saying that. 'I fulfilled that dream but at some point you have to move on and there's a life outside of that.' When one door closes, another opens. After returning to the DTM circuit and working for Sky Sports' F1 coverage for several years, Di Resta found his way into endurance racing, first at the Le Mans 24-hour race with United Autosports before settling in the FIA's World Endurance Championship from 2019 with Peugeot. He's been 'part of the furniture' there ever since. With victory in the 2020 LMP2, as well as consistent results over the course of his first season, Di Resta was ready to write the next chapter in his career. 'Endurance racing, I believe, is the next best thing (after Formula One),' says Di Resta. 'It was the best thing in terms of my family structure. I have kids, so staying Europe based, because I had options in the US to do Indy Car, there was an element of safety there, too. So this is next thing to Formula One that people look at. 'Obviously, I'd never focused on endurance racing, what with the F1 stuff. The DTM times, it was all individual, it was all about sprint racing. 'It just came up in a conversation with (United Autosports co-owner) Zak Brown at Spa. We met each other in the paddock in August 2017, he asked if I'd be interested in doing Daytona 24. So we said let's get it on, let's speak about it. 'From there, I joined United, went there and did that. Throughout that year, I did races with them, combined that a bit with DTM. It was nice to do a dual programme. At that point it was a bit more accepted. When I was you]nger, it wasn't really accepted that you could be with one manufacturer and branch off to another manufacturer and do two championships. 'I had firm Mercedes-Benz roots. They didn't have any endurance racing so naturally you couldn't do that. 'With doing LMP2, which wasn't manufacturer-tied, that's how this started. Then, when that came to an end, hypercar started to get momentum behind it. So I signed here late 2020, and I've been part of the furniture since.' Now into his sixth year with Peugeot, Di Resta is back driving at the top level in this type of racing. Successive ninth-placed finishes in Qatar and then Imola have given the Scot and his team the best start to the season they could have hoped for. Even if the man from Uphall in West Lothian believes the race is deserving of a more prestigious track. 'The hypercar is the top class, the biggest thing you want to race in,' he says. 'Fortunately, I managed to get in. I was at a decent age. I'd had friends who had been part of the Peugeot programme back in the 908 days, which were hugely successful, so I knew they were serious about racing. 'I think a French brand coming in to capitalise on Le Mans, which is the biggest goal of the season, that was part of what drove me to be here. 'You'd like to finish off the journey. At the moment, the success hasn't been where we'd like it to be for the effort that's gone in. But there's still time and dedication from every individual here. 'Honestly, ninth in Qatar is the reality of where we're at. I don't think we're better than that. Our competition has built a better, faster car and you've got to applaud them. 'I honestly think the championship is way above this track (Imola). I don't think it's a place we should be coming — it's too small. There's bigger and better tracks out there on the calendar. 'Of course, you can come here and enjoy the pasta, the pizza. But is it a world championship event for the likes of this? I don't think so. There are bolder, bigger tracks; Silverstone, Monza.' With racing blood in his veins, as a cousin of superstar drivers Dario and Marino Franchitti, Di Resta was always destined to find his way into the sport. As he lives out a new dream, he admits he could not have reached the heights he has achieved without the help, dedication and perseverance of his family. 'Growing up in a motorsport family, it was just the norm,' he admits. 'I was surrounded by it, but I wasn't asked the question if I wanted to do it, it was more when could I start? 'Very quickly the sense was there that you could drive your way forward. 'Watching what Dario had done, you could see how you could get to the top. The ambition was always strong. 'I had a good family network around me. The family kind of make the journey more than anyone in sport for kids. 'I think it's easily forgotten that it's a kid, but it's the dedication of the family who put the time in, the sacrifice, that pays off. 'You feel sorry for those that put that sacrifice in and don't achieve it. I always say that the dream has to become the family's before it can be the individual's.' In the case of Paul Di Resta, the dream continues.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Audi Sport to Sell Historic LMP and DTM Cars to Private Collectors in Drivable Condition
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector Audi Sport has announced it will begin selling some of its most iconic factory-built race cars—once reserved solely for factory use—to private collectors, marking a historic shift in the brand's motorsport legacy. Revealed on Wednesday, the new initiative, titled Audi Sport racing legends, will offer select Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) vehicles in fully drivable condition. The program will also provide technical support and exclusive access to Audi's motorsport expertise. 'For the first time, these cars are being rebuilt with reconditioned period parts to factory standards, with direct involvement from the original developers,' said Rolf Michl, managing director of Audi Sport GmbH. 'These aren't just static showpieces—customers are getting high-performance machines that deliver the full experience of factory racing.' The first two vehicles made available include: Chassis 207 of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, the same car that triumphed at the 2012 Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with drivers Romain Dumas, Loic Duval, and Marc Gené. It marked a pivotal win in the FIA World Endurance Championship during Audi's hybrid-diesel era. Chassis 107 of the Audi RS 5 DTM, driven to victory by Timo Scheider in 2015 during Audi's dominant run in touring car racing. Audi Sport plans to debut the program at major motorsport events throughout 2025, including the Jim Clark Revival at Hockenheim, the Le Mans Classic, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This move comes amid Audi's broader motorsports transformation, which recently included ending its factory GT3 program and delivering its final R8 LMS GT3 customer car. The racing legends initiative opens a new chapter—one that invites private collectors into the automaker's rich competition history with unmatched authenticity and driving access. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
