Has the fastest-growing motorsport series in the world put corporate funding ahead of the fan experience?
That is the biggest question many motorsports enthusiasts had when looking back on the 2023 season of Formula One. And I think it will be the most critical overarching question for the next two years As the sport goes through some very large changes.
2023 was a difficult year for fans, and it's not hard to see why so many people feel like Formula One is leaving them behind. Between rising ticket costs, unpredictable race weekend experiences, and more attention than ever being placed on wealthy corporate sponsorships, Fans feel like they are no longer a priority. Add on a packed viewing schedule with out-of-touch social media strategies, and F1 struggled to find even ground when engaging with fans this season.
The fan's experience has always been crucial to the success of Formula One, and as the sport's popularity spread, it was a highlight for many long-time fans. In recent years, the fan-based experience seems to have been forgotten as the sport grew exponentially. Attending a race is impossible for most fans nowadays, and with a lackluster social media approach to make up for it fans have been left to fend for themselves. Fans have built their online communities, have their niche F1 influencers, and developed unique ways of connecting. Formula One has ignored the existing fans' space. They have created a bubble where costs and demand are so high most average fans struggle to relate or engage with the sport at all. And it makes you wonder how long fans will be content just watching from the outside as the sport grows deliberately without them.
Can Formula One survive long-term if it continues to put its fans and their experience behind everything else? No. Formula One must create a deliberate and authentic strategy to engage with its fans long-term. The sport desperately needs to invest in its existing groups of diverse online creators and ensure its average fan experience, whether at home or in person, can engage with Formula One. Making sure fans don't have to jump through hoops to have the F1 experience they crave will be the key to success. And if F1 does it right, it will also encourage its new corporate partners to prioritize the experience they can give fans as well.
If one thing is crystal clear, it's that Fans of Formula One want to engage. They want to connect with the sport, its teams, its drivers, and each other. And if Formula One wants to survive in the long run more attention needs to be given to providing an entertaining and engaging experience for all.
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