F1 2025: the numbers behind a record-breaking season
The 2025 Formula 1 season will be remembered by fans for its mix of sporting excitement, records, and initiatives that boosted global engagement. From Lando Norris’ first world championship to impressive audience numbers and brand activations from Louis Vuitton and others, 2025 marked a turning point. The title fight was one of the closest in the last 15 years, with Lando Norris crowned world champion, becoming the 11th British driver to win the championship and capping off a season full of thrilling races and surprising results.
The season opener: F1 75 Live at London’s O2
The season kicked off with the innovative F1 75 Live show at the O2 Arena, where all 10 teams and 20 drivers unveiled the 2025 car liveries. The event combined motorsport and entertainment, featuring performances by Take That, country star Kane Brown, composer Brian Tyler with “Are We Dreaming,” and MGK. The show sold out in just 20 minutes, welcoming 16,000 spectators and celebrating F1’s 75th anniversary.
The event was broadcast by 42 F1 broadcast partners, streaming live in 37 countries. The official Formula 1 YouTube channel alone reached 7.5 million live viewers. Overall, the livestream had viewers from 211 nations, with 63% of TikTok views coming from non-followers.
Attendance and social media records
In 2025, 6.7 million fans attended races in person, surpassing the previous record of 6.5 million in 2024. 19 out of 24 events were sold out, with 11 new attendance records. Four weekends exceeded 400,000 spectators, including Australia (465,000) and the UK (500,000). Ten more races attracted over 300,000 fans, including Monza (369,000), Canada (352,000), and Belgium (389,000).
Social media engagement reached over 2.3 billion interactions, with a total of 114.5 million followers (up from 18.7 million in 2018). Platform growth versus 2024 was remarkable: TikTok +91%, YouTube +53%, Facebook +51%, Instagram +25%, and X (Twitter) +1%.
Television audiences and global reach
TV viewership averaged 70 million per weekend. The most-watched race was Belgium, with over 80 million viewers. Interest grew in traditional markets such as Germany (+12%), Brazil (+11%), and France (+6%), as well as emerging markets like China (+11%) and the Middle East (+10%). In Australia, thanks to the title fight involving Oscar Piastri, audience numbers jumped by 55%.
A global success off the track
Formula 1’s global fan base now reaches 827 million, up 12% from last year and 63% since 2018. F1 has surpassed the NBA as the most popular sports league by 11.4%. Fans are increasingly young, with 43% under 35 years old. Youth audiences grew by 51 million in 2025.
Women now represent 42% of F1 fans, up from 37% in 2018, with 43 million new female fans in a single year. Fan growth is strong across the globe, with 115.4 million in Europe, 16.7 million in the UK, 221.1 million in China, 78.8 million in India, and 52 million in the United States (up 11%), with TV viewership up 21%.
F1 success in cinema
2025 also saw F1’s impact in cinema. On June 27, 2025, the film “F1: The Movie,” starring Brad Pitt and Sonny Hayes, premiered worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing sports film ever with over $630 million in revenue. The production filmed more than 185 hours at 14 Grand Prix events, using over 2,000 hours of historical footage. Around 1,900 people worked on the project, with 400 technicians present at each race. The film released on Apple TV on December 12, 2025, becoming the platform’s number one movie.
Looking ahead: sustainability and circuit renewals
Formula 1 is already preparing for 2026, with 100% sustainable fuels powering the new engines. New constructors such as Audi, Cadillac, and Ford (supporting Red Bull’s hybrid engine) will join the grid. Many circuits have extended contracts: Miami and Austria until 2041, Canada and Monaco until 2035, Azerbaijan until 2030, Mexico until 2028, and Texas (COTA) until 2034. Belgium will rotate circuits from 2026 onward, appearing in 2026, 2027, 2029, and 2031. Portugal will return in 2027 and 2028.
Environmentally, F1 aims for “Net Zero Carbon by 2030.” By the end of 2024, greenhouse gas emissions were already down 26% compared to 2018. Factory emissions dropped 59% (over 34,000 tons of CO2), travel emissions fell 25% (about 20,000 tons less), and logistics emissions decreased 9% (6,438 tons less).
Conclusion
In 2025, Formula 1 achieved unprecedented success, with competitive races, record audiences, commercial expansion, and concrete steps toward sustainability. Looking to 2026, new technical regulations, incoming constructors, and promises of innovation and spectacle signal another thrilling chapter for the sport.
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