F1 battles with motorsport rivals as US alternative mounts challenge

The numbers have been crunched and it is now beyond doubt which racing series is the most followed across social media.

Motorsport.com have combined the followers of motorsport series across Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, with platforms such as TikTok and Youtube excluded from their additions.

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Unsurprisingly due to big names such as Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, Formula 1 took the top spot with 50.1 million followers the majority of their followers from Instagram.

MotoGP followed in second with 36.6 million, performing just as well on Facebook as on Instagram, with US series NASCAR filling the last podium spot with 11.6 million followers and a strong Facebook following.

IndyCar and WEC amongst least followed

Formula 2 and Formula E, have more followers than fan favourites IndyCar and WEC, who find themselves in the bottom four of the list, the former only just surpassing 2 million followers.

The growth of F1 and F2, may be due to an increase in younger audiences as a result of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, where they were not only introduced to F1 drivers but the F2 stars of the future.

The motorsport popularity contest

1) Formula 1 | 50.1 million combined followers 2) MotoGP | 36.6 million combined followers 3) NASCAR | 11.6 million combined followers 4) World Rally Championship | 5.95 million combined followers 5) Formula DRIFT | 4.36 million combined followers 6) Formula E | 2.92 million combined followers 7) Formula 2 | 2.41 million combined followers 8) INDYCAR | 2.1 million combined followers 9) World Endurance Championship | 1.64 million combined followers 10) DTM | 1.19 million combined followers 11) IMSA | 1.16 million combined followers

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali gave his thoughts on the growth and his restructuring of the sport in 2022.

“We have introduced numerous ways to attract and engage new fans, with Drive To Survive and new formats like the F1 Sprint, but we mustn’t forget the fans who’ve been with us all their lives,” he said in an interview with Formula 1.

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“While these newer elements are enjoyable for them, too, we need to make sure we have other ways to meet their needs, such as F1 TV.”

“But the main thing is finding the right balance between sport and entertainment, and while we are always looking at new ways to make it engaging for fans, what makes the sport one of the most thrilling in the world must not be lost.”

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