Formulation 1’s American revolution – how the collection lastly cracked the USA

“Over the previous 5 years, now we have carried out a really focused technique to deliver Formulation 1 ever nearer to the American followers,” F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali tells Motorsport.com when discussing the expansion within the USA.

Has the technique been profitable? Properly, if Shakira had been a mathematician, there isn’t a doubt she would have agreed that the numbers don’t lie as a result of, to eek extra out of the strangled musical metaphor, F1 has damaged into America very similar to The Beatles managed within the Sixties.

Its personal figures counsel there at the moment are 52 million F1 followers in America, a rise of greater than 10% from 2024, whereas half of these supporters have adopted the collection within the final 5 years.

Viewership can also be up; ESPN may not stay the house of F1 within the USA for for much longer, however its dwell race viewers has doubled since 2018 and thus far this yr there was a noticeable enhance in viewers for the opening 5 rounds of the championship.

“F1 has by no means been stronger globally, and the expansion in america has been one of many most important drivers of our improvement in recent times,” Domenicali identified.

Stefano Domenicali

Photograph by: Andrea Diodato – NurPhoto – Getty Photos

“Over the previous 5 years, now we have carried out a really focused technique to deliver Formulation 1 ever nearer to the American followers – not solely throughout race weekends, however all year long, by content material, occasions and new engagement platforms.

“The main target is on persevering with to present our followers what they need in a kind they wish to devour it. We should keep in mind that whereas we’re a sport now we have grown in attain and provide, and we aren’t solely competing with different sports activities however types of leisure. This can be a vastly aggressive house the place completely different age teams act in several methods and count on other ways to have interaction with manufacturers and leisure.

“Conserving F1 related all yr is important. This yr we are going to see the F1 film launched, which shall be an enormous second for our sport as we attain new followers globally and may have a huge impact within the US. We have now new partnerships developing that can additional ingrain our model with the US client, and naturally now we have Cadillac, an iconic US model, becoming a member of the grid from 2026. We have now to be culturally related within the US, and that’s on the coronary heart of our technique.”

It’s a technique that additionally contains the ten present groups on the grid, and Aston Martin managing director of economic and advertising Jefferson Slack has a singular perception into how F1 fandom has developed within the USA in recent times, having additionally seen the darkish days of Indianapolis 2005 when 14 Michelin drivers didn’t begin the race, for security causes.

The beginning of the race with solely six automobiles

Photograph by: Steve Swope / Motorsport Photos

“Firstly, the game has, let’s assume, cracked the US market. I am American, and once I was younger, Formulation 1 simply wasn’t a part of our world,” he advised Motorsport.com.

“Bernie [Ecclestone] tried to do a couple of issues, and I will always remember watching the race at Indy when, what’s it, 14 automobiles pulled off, and identical to: ‘Okay, this isn’t going to tug within the American sports activities client who has entry to one of the best on this planet, each domestically and internationally’.”

So what, in Slack’s thoughts, ultimately turned the tide in America? Plainly Netflix, the potential future residence of F1 Stateside, performed an enormous half.

“Take a look at the entire Drive to Survive impact, which I believe has had a world impression however is very vital in america – and whenever you have a look at the demographics, the game has gotten youthful, it is gotten extra well-liked,” he mentioned.

“I’ve conferences on a regular basis with guys like me, and I ask in the event that they like Formulation 1? And an American man will say: ‘No, I do not actually observe it, however my college-age daughter loves the game, so we watch it collectively’.”

Domenicali touched on Cadillac’s impending arrival and the F1 film, launched in June, with Slack highlighting Drive to Survive, which has been renewed for season eight. John Rowady, founder and CEO of US-based sports activities advertising company rEvolution, believes the three issues are intrinsically linked to F1 discovering a house in america.

“It is a superb sign that F1 has turn into part of the American sports activities cloth, and it’s right here to remain,” he advised Motorsport.com.

“It’s the solely actually world ‘tremendous league’ providing fandom from anyplace with out having to displace it from stick and ball sports activities. American sports activities followers gravitate in direction of authenticity – now that the game has re-entered the American market and zeitgeist in an genuine and significant means, followers are connecting, exploring and interesting.”

Excited followers fill a grandstand

Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photos

The mannequin put in place by F1, which after all contains three grands prix a season with Austin and Las Vegas on the calendar alongside Miami, attracts American manufacturers in addition to followers.

“We’re a expertise enterprise. We win or lose primarily based on our expertise. So you set these two issues collectively, you say to an organization: ‘Hey, hear, you need a world platform… there’s nothing prefer it,” provides Slack.

“Now it is as much as us to take good benefit of that but additionally ensure we do the appropriate issues on fan engagement and different issues to maintain folks . However at the very least for the preliminary half, it has been extraordinarily profitable.

“There’s the macroeconomic points occurring on this planet right this moment, so I do not know the way that can have an effect on. It isn’t going to be useful. However placing that apart, the game simply continues to develop in that house, and if you happen to have a look at the highest 100 tech corporations, I’d say 50 to 75 are within the sport. You are not going to search out that in some other world platform.”

American manufacturers particularly have seemed to learn from F1’s growth of their residence nation by partnering up with groups or the championship itself, with extra of them than ever now onboard up and down the pitlane.

“Since 2018, the variety of American-based companions has greater than doubled,” Bjorn Stenbacka of Spomotion Analytics defined to Motorsport.com.

“In 2024, it reached an all-time excessive with 115 and that has been matched in 2025. With new partnerships anticipated to be introduced forward of the upcoming races within the US, it is probably that 2025 will set a brand new file.

“Nonetheless, the fast progress seen in recent times seems to be slowing, suggesting the variety of U.S. companions is starting to stabilise at this elevated degree.

“To see the attain of American manufacturers, Ferrari is a superb instance. Italy has been the primary nation on its partnership listing, in all probability for the reason that begin. However final yr US handed Italy – a historic change – and this yr, thus far Italy and US are equal.”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos

The previous adage of ‘construct it and they’ll come’ might be utilized to US fandom, and subsequent brand-rush, in F1 whereas additionally being true in the case of the literal bricks and mortar used to create a full-time Las Vegas residency alongside the yearly grand prix.

“This dynamism has made Formulation 1 much more engaging for American business companions, who see in our sport not solely a direct reference to an more and more giant and various viewers, but additionally a privileged entry to a singular world community, with 24 races in 21 nations. A possibility that, within the world sports activities panorama, is unparalleled,” added Domenicali.

As Stenbacka suggests, there was a partnership plateau in the case of US manufacturers coming into F1 as the expansion in that sector at the very least begins to sluggish.

So simply how far can F1 proceed to develop in America, particularly when it’s now trying to compete with the most important established sporting leagues such because the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL in addition to school sport and different race collection?

“It isn’t one or the opposite,” Slack mentioned on the topic. “The NFL is one of the best sports activities enterprise mannequin ever created, however it is vitally, very U.S-led, whereas what we’re tapping into is a world platform – and as nice because the NFL is, it’s not a world platform.

“Formulation 1 reaches nearly each vital market on this planet. Not one of the U.S. sports activities do this. So it is only a completely completely different factor. Three races (within the US) appears to me adequate to me however it’s 25% of the world financial system, so you can clearly have one other race from an financial standpoint.”

Whereas Domenicali spoke of a “very focused technique” he additionally insisted F1 was conscious of the legacies behind the main US sports activities.

“We have to be respectful of extremely established US sports activities,” he mentioned.

“Firstly, now we have 24 occasions in a single yr, and different sports activities have a number of occasions and video games each week, so the provide is completely different. Our goal is to proceed our progress, constructing on our passionate fanbase and incredible business partnerships, and I’m bold in what we will obtain.

“The final 5 years have proven what is feasible, and as a sport I imagine we will attain locations culturally that different sports activities can’t and that we provide a world proposition, commercially, that’s distinctive. We love racing within the US, the followers have unimaginable ardour, and we’re solely simply getting began.”

Rowady, in the meantime, pinpointed the place F1 remains to be discovering shortcomings when in comparison with these lengthy since established American sporting manufacturers.

“Direct comparability to legacy US sports activities leagues the place groups are grounded in communities and native traditions inadvertently diminishes analysing the incredible outcomes F1 is having within the US,” he mentioned.

McLaren and Pink Bull followers rejoice in a grandstand

Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos

“I discover the true story for F1’s progress trajectory is within the demographic seize. In comparison with the large 4 leagues, F1 boasts a youthful fanbase and is especially profitable in attracting 16-24-year-olds, a lot of them females. Within the U.S., the common F1 fan is between 32 and 35 years previous, notably youthful than the NFL (common age 50), NBA (42), MLB (57), and NHL (49). F1 doesn’t have to chase the 40–50-year-old demographic — it’s already cultivating Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the long run leaders and shoppers in America. The long run lies with them.

“Moreover, with extra American corporations getting concerned by sponsorship and business improvement, that brings with it the American financial engine for progress. F1’s start-and-stop US engagement phenomenon pre-2018 is over.

“Nonetheless, F1 continues to face obstacles in what we name fan monetization in comparison with what US sports activities leagues are capable of provide. Licensed merchandise and leisure expertise [i.e. multiple F1 touchpoints for fan engagement] stay both tough to entry, non-existent and/or priced at a premium.

“Whereas F1’s “way of life” model is very aspirational in our tradition, it usually feels unapproachable for the broader public, making it a hurdle to construct the identical mass viewers scale seen in different main U.S. sports activities leagues.”