Formula 1 races ahead with record crowds, soaring viewership and rising fan engagement

London: Formula 1 is hitting top gear both on and off the track. At the halfway stage of the 2026 season, the championship has reported record race attendance, rising television audiences, stronger fan engagement and expanding commercial partnerships, underlining the momentum generated by the sport’s new era of regulations, teams and drivers.

Speaking during an international media roundtable, Stefano Domenicali said the championship’s future looks increasingly promising as its global audience continues to grow.

“We are very happy about the future in front of us,” said Formula One Group president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali. “Numbers are growing, the championship is becoming fascinating. There is a lot of action on the track. People are loving it.”

Domenicali said Formula 1 has become a benchmark for other global sports leagues by continuously adapting to changing fan expectations and embracing new audiences through innovation and technology.

One of the biggest strategic changes this season has been Formula 1’s broadcast partnership with Apple in the United States. Domenicali said the partnership is helping reshape how content is produced, distributed and consumed, while creating greater awareness through streaming platforms.

The new arrangement has already delivered encouraging results, including Apple’s first simulcast with Netflix during the Canadian Grand Prix alongside Drive to Survive, attracting younger and more diverse viewers.

Every race weekend held so far in 2026 has sold out, extending Formula 1’s streak to 11 consecutive sold-out events.

Nearly 3.7 million spectators have attended race weekends this season, compared with 3.4 million across the same races in 2025, representing six per cent year-on-year growth.

Six circuits also set new attendance records this season, including Australia (484,000 spectators), Silverstone (564,000), Belgium (400,000), Canada (360,000), Austria (320,000) and Hungary (310,000).

Among the strongest year-on-year gains were the Japanese Grand Prix, where attendance rose 18 per cent, followed by the British Grand Prix at 13 per cent and the Austrian Grand Prix at seven per cent.

Formula 1 also reported robust television growth across several strategic markets.

Brazil delivered some of the strongest gains, with audiences for certain race weekends growing as much as fivefold compared with 2025. The British Grand Prix attracted a record 18 million viewers across TV Globo and SportTV3, making it the country’s biggest audience for the race in eight years and the largest single-market audience for any Formula 1 race globally since 2020.

Italy recorded a 27 per cent increase in television audiences through the British Grand Prix compared with last year, while the Japanese and Belgian races attracted their largest Italian audiences since 2017 and 2019 respectively.

In China, television audiences for the home Grand Prix more than doubled year on year, reflecting growing local interest following expanded coverage. Globally, the Monaco Grand Prix attracted almost 80 million viewers, recording double-digit growth over 2025.

The championship also renewed broadcast agreements with ESPN Latin America, beIN, Kayo Sports, Sky UK and Sky Italia.

Formula 1’s digital footprint continues to expand rapidly.

The championship now has more than 125 million followers across social platforms, up 19 per cent year on year. Social impressions increased 12 per cent, while video views surged 54 per cent, driven largely by TikTok.

One of the biggest viral moments came at Silverstone, where the LEGO-themed Drivers’ Parade generated more than 70 million views across social platforms.

Fans are also enjoying the racing more. Formula 1’s Fan Voice survey, which includes feedback from around 60,000 supporters, found that 66 per cent rated this season’s racing as either good or excellent, compared with 60 per cent for the whole of last season.

Several races posted notable improvements, including China, Japan, Canada, Monaco and Belgium.

Formula 1 estimates its global fan base has now surpassed 830 million people, representing 64 per cent growth since 2018, the first full season after Liberty Media acquired the commercial rights.

Women now account for 42 per cent of Formula 1’s audience and represent around three-quarters of new fans joining the sport. Meanwhile, 43 per cent of all fans are under the age of 35, highlighting the championship’s growing appeal among younger audiences.

Commercially, Formula 1 continued expanding its global portfolio of partners and licensees.

The sport welcomed new global partners including Standard Chartered, Marsh, FanDuel, Betway, Flexjet and Fever, while extending agreements with Pirelli, Allwyn and Salesforce.

Twenty new consumer licensing partners also joined during the first half of the year, with collaborations spanning brands such as Disney, LEGO, Topps, Hasbro and Hot Wheels.

Away from racing, the F1 Sim Racing World Championship also gathered momentum, attracting nearly 13 million live viewers, up 72 per cent from last year.

Formula 1 also reported continued progress towards its environmental goals, saying it remains on track to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 after reducing its overall carbon footprint by 35 per cent from 2018 levels.

With record crowds filling grandstands, television audiences climbing, streaming partnerships expanding and fan enthusiasm continuing to build, Formula 1’s 2026 season is proving that the championship’s biggest race may well be its global growth story.