Formula 1 audience growth has continued at record levels during the first half of 2026, with trackside attendance increasing by 6%, television audiences in Italy rising by 27% and the championship’s social media following climbing by 19% year on year. F1’s global fanbase has now surpassed 830 million people, underlining the remarkable popularity the sport continues to enjoy.
The figures were presented as part of Formula 1’s mid-season review and provide strong grounds for continued optimism about the championship’s commercial and cultural momentum. The results are particularly notable after a major regulatory revolution that generated considerable uncertainty among fans with a stronger interest in the technical side of Formula 1.
Despite those concerns, a huge number of supporters continue to follow the action enthusiastically, both at the circuits and from home. The results build on the championship’s earlier 2026 audience growth and suggest that the profile of the sport’s core audience is changing significantly.
Formula 1 audience growth drives record circuit attendance
Formula 1 recorded 11 consecutive sold-out events during the first part of the season. Combined attendance across race weekends reached 3.7 million spectators, representing a 6% increase compared with 2025.
Six Grands Prix also established new attendance records:
- Australian Grand Prix: 484,000 spectators
- Canadian Grand Prix: 360,000 spectators
- Austrian Grand Prix: 320,000 spectators
- British Grand Prix at Silverstone: 564,000 spectators
- Belgian Grand Prix: 400,000 spectators
- Hungarian Grand Prix: 310,000 spectators
The numbers demonstrate the sustained demand for attending Formula 1 events in person. This follows a record-breaking 2025 season for Formula 1, when total attendance and digital engagement had already reached new heights.
F1 television audiences surge in Italy, Brazil and China
Formula 1 also recorded substantial television growth across several major markets. In Brazil, the championship’s TV audience increased fivefold compared with 2025.
In Italy, television viewership rose by 27% year on year through the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The increase highlights the strength of Italian interest in Formula 1 during the 2026 campaign.
China delivered another major rise, with the television audience for its home Grand Prix more than doubling compared with the previous season. Meanwhile, the Monaco Grand Prix attracted almost 80 million viewers globally, recording double-digit growth over 2025.
The trend continued at the Hungaroring, where the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix attracted 2.86 million Italian television viewers.
Social media followers reach 125 million
Digital platforms remain one of the most powerful drivers of Formula 1 audience growth in 2026. The championship now has 125 million followers across social media, an increase of 19% year on year.
Social impressions have risen by 12%, while video views have increased by 54% compared with the same period in 2025. TikTok provided a particularly important contribution to that expansion.
The LEGO race held at Silverstone generated 70 million views, illustrating how alternative digital content can reach an audience far beyond traditional race coverage. Fans have also watched more than seven million hours of extended video content through F1.com and the official Formula 1 app.
Fans rate the 2026 Formula 1 races more highly
Formula 1’s Fan Voice platform includes 60,000 supporters who are asked to assess the championship throughout the year. According to the collected data, 66% rated the 2026 races as good or excellent, compared with 60% in 2025.
The Canadian Grand Prix received the strongest response, with 84% of reviews describing the event as good or excellent. Barcelona achieved a rating of 76%, followed by Austria on 72% and Miami on 70%.
These results indicate that the growth is not limited to raw audience figures. The fans taking part in the research have also responded more positively to the quality of the racing than they did during the previous season.
Women and younger supporters reshape F1’s global fanbase
Formula 1 estimates that its global fanbase now exceeds 830 million people, representing growth of 64% since 2018. The audience is also becoming younger and more diverse.
Women account for 42% of the overall fanbase and represent 75% of new supporters. In addition, 43% of Formula 1 fans are under the age of 35. Those figures reinforce the wider trend previously reflected in the sport’s expanding young audience and digital engagement.
Hospitality demand and commercial partnerships expand
More than 60,000 spectators watched Formula 1 races from the championship’s hospitality areas during the opening part of the season. Hospitality attendance increased by 42% in Monaco and 22% at Silverstone.
Formula 1 also welcomed several new commercial partners in 2026: Standard Chartered in wealth management, insurance broker Marsh, betting companies FanDuel and Betway, private aviation company Flexjet and ticketing platform Fever.
The championship additionally extended its agreements with Pirelli, which supplies Formula 1 tyres, betting company Allwyn and cloud-computing specialist Salesforce. Together with the attendance, television and digital results, those partnerships provide further evidence of Formula 1’s continued commercial expansion during its record-breaking start to 2026.
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