Why women are RACING INTO F1

Driven by the coolness and glamour of the track - plus Kiwi Liam Lawson livening up the laps - we want in on the action!

- 

It's just a bunch of blokes driving round and round in circles in horribly noisy cars. And traditionally, it’s mostly been other men who sit glued to their screens or travel to locations like Melbourne or Miami to watch the cars screeching around a track.

But in recent years, there’s been an explosion in the number of women who follow Formula 1. It's expected that around 40 percent of the 70 million people who'll watch it this year are women. In 2017, only eight percent of fans were female.

So what's the attraction? Surely it’s more than fangirling thanks to the fact that many of the drivers are, shall we say, quite easy on the eye? Or are women becoming more drawn to sports that have previously had an overwhelmingly male fanbase thanks to clever promotion?

Here’s why F1 has got women all revved up.

New owners, new outlook

In 2017, F1 was bought by new owners Liberty Media, who have pulled out all the stops to attract new fans. They've deliberately targeted younger people and women with strong social media campaigns, including getting influencers to spread the word about how exciting the sport is. They've also launched initiatives like video games and an on-demand video service, and brought in sponsors with female-focused brands like cosmetics, which is changing the fan demographic.

The Netflix effect

Reality TV show Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which debuted on Netflix in 2019, has played a huge part in the boom in female fans. It provides behind-the-scenes glimpses of the F1 world, showcasing the rivalries, bromances, politics and pressure of the sport.

"It feels like access to a world that we shouldn't be seeing," says executive producer Tom Hutchings.

"Viewers get hooked on that very quickly."