Stefano Domenicali explains how F1’s global fanbase is evolving beyond racing. Stefano Domenicali explains how Formula 1’s audience has evolved.

The President of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, has drawn attention to the growing diversification of the sport’s fanbase, underlining how the modern audience is very different from that of the past.

The new fans

With the arrival of Liberty Media, Formula 1’s global fanbase has expanded dramatically, bringing an unprecedented level of interest to the category. As widely reported in recent months, by 2025 the figure of 827 million fans has crowned Formula 1 as the most-followed sports series on the planet.

Today, 43% of the audience is under the age of 35, while 42% are women. In short, the profile of the average F1 fan has changed significantly in recent years, reflecting a broader and more inclusive global appeal.

Ecclestone and the Rolex argument

The days when Bernie Ecclestone questioned the value of attracting younger audiences are now long gone.

Looking back at excerpts from a 2014 interview he gave to Campaign Asia-Pacific highlights just how much the landscape has changed in little more than a decade: “Kids that see the Rolex brand are certainly not going to run out and buy one, they can’t afford it. And UBS? These young people don’t deal with banks, they don’t have enough money. That’s how I see it, and I don’t know why people want to target younger generations. What can you sell them? Most of these kids don’t have money. It’s better to reach 70-year-olds, who have plenty. There’s no way to try to reach these kids, because they won’t buy anything: if marketing experts are targeting this audience, then they should advertise with Disney.”

For the record, in May 2025 a collaboration agreement between Formula 1 and Disney was officially announced, with the partnership beginning in 2026.

Domenicali and today’s fans

In a lengthy interview with The Race, it is particularly interesting to note how Stefano Domenicali describes modern Formula 1 fans. Journalist Jonathan Noble observed: “You said that F1 is made up of the best drivers in the best cars, and all of us fell in love with F1 because we see these cars racing at incredible speed,” but Domenicali interrupted him: “Maybe you and I. But other people can love F1 for different reasons. Keep in mind what we are doing today. We are much more than just a race on track or the best drivers in the world.”

Noble then pressed further: “But what is your message to the ‘purists’? There is a feeling that you are obsessed with casual fans.”

Stefano Domenicali firmly rejected that suggestion: “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I am the most ‘purist’ fan of all, because I was born in Imola and I have followed races since I was a child. I am the most passionate fan, but one who also has a neutral perspective on these aspects. The ‘purists’ want to see that in China there was the fastest lap in history — that is the answer.”