We here at Tubefilter have written a lot about the continuing prevalence of sports content on social platforms, streaming, and traditional TV. As broadcast and linear TVs’ market share continues to decline, sports content viewership has remained strong–and sports are finding deeper connections with passionate audiences on platforms like YouTube and Reddit, too.
But while we’ve mostly focused on sports like golf and basketball, there’s been a sleeper roaring in the wings: Formula 1.
If you’ve been in digital fandom spaces at all, you’ll know Formula 1–the international, ultra high speed, single-seater motor car races–experienced a massive resurgence during COVID, with much of that fresh traffic generated by hit Netflix documentary Drive to Survive. The U.S. fanbase alone now comprises over 45 million people.
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And the demographic where it’s seeing the most growth? 16- to 24-year-old girls.
In fact, Formula 1is making tracks with a lot of women–including content creators.
But Formula 1 isn’t like your local sports team or even fellow racing competition NASCAR. With a team like the Cincinnati Bengals or an average NASCAR race, fans with a little cash stand a good chance of grabbing a ticket and seeing an event in person. But Formula 1 races are often held outside the U.S., and tickets can run over $1,000 per person. The ticket cost plus travel and hotel makes attending a race prohibitive for all but 1% of fans, Financial Times reports.
So, it adds, F1-focused content creators now “form a bridge between drivers and fans,” connecting folks who can’t see the races in real life to news, driver updates, and race day experiences from the inside.
That includes a sizable number of female creators, including TikToker Lissie Mackintosh, a 25-year-old British F1 enthusiast who has 400,000 followers. She’s been making videos about F1 for four years, and now has an audience that’s nearly 80% female, and 70% Gen Z.
Her videos are targeted at both F1 newbies and experienced race watchers. “What the Formula 1 does that mean?” has become a sort of catchphrase, which she uses to give viewers an in to the sport’s lingo and practices. She also started a podcast, Going Purple.
@lissiemackintosh Refreshing! Thanks Nico 😂😭 #f1 #formula1 #formulaone #nicohulkenberg #motorsport ♬ original sound
Her digital presence and influence on the F1 fandom has gotten her partnerships with brands like cosmetics company Charlotte Tilbury, which is an official partner of F1 Academy, the motorsport series for women under 25. (Worth noting: Women are allowed to compete in Formula 1, but very few have, likely in part due to extreme pressure put on women who join male-dominated sports.)
Another well-known F1 creator is Toni Cowan-Brown, who’s been making content on the sport full-time since 2021. She has 113,000 TikTok followers, founded the fandom platform Sunday Fangirls, and also hosts two motorsports-related podcasts.
Cowan-Brown told FT she doesn’t think F1 is leaping on the opportunity to market to the 42% of its fanbase who are women. It’s “done little to cater to that audience” she said, mentioning that she–like many women in sports–has faced hate online for her content.
Her experience has been “brutal,” she said. “[I]t’s not even a question of thick skin.”
Despite this, Susie Wolff, the Managing Director of F1 Academy, tolf FT there has been an “F1 Academy effect” with more women inspired to get into motorsports and more women joining F1’s fandom.
She said the Academy is prioritizing using its social channels to reach young girls, so they “instantly know that there is a place for them in our sport, and that they are welcome here.”
While content creators across all sports have become vital drivers (no pun intended) of fan engagement, it seems F1 Academy is hoping all those Gen Z girls watching TikToks might become interested in getting behind the wheel themselves. And who knows–maybe the next crop of up-and-coming drivers will come from kids who got to connect with F1 behind the scenes thanks to Mackintosh, Cowan-Brown, and thousands of other F1-focused influencers.
