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Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images, and Photo by Jakob Ebrey/Getty Images
Formula 1 has seen exponential growth in its fanbase in recent years, and the impact is clear to see on race weekends, which have been able to capture the pop culture zeitgeist that has taken the sport to new heights.
Thanks to the combination of cultural moments from Netflix’s Drive to Survive and the recent star-studded F1 movie topping the box office, more eyes want to see racing on track in person than ever before – and who could blame them?
As someone who has had the pleasure of attending the Silverstone Grand Prix, it’s easy to see why it’s the most legendary race on the calendar. The unpredictable weather (it certainly chucked it down this year), the passionate British fans, and seeing cars make their way around the iconic corners of Maggotts, Becketts, and Chapel, it’s a thrill every F1 fan should experience, with more seeking to make this happen.
The F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain took place at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2025Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
And the ticket data backs this up, since following the Drive to Survive Season 7 launch on 7th March 2025, online ticket marketplace Viagogo saw an 87 per cent increase in fans searching for F1 tickets that week compared to the week before, while the F1 movie’s prime time advert slot during the Superbowl this year on February 9, 2025 resulted in a 58 per cent increase in searches on Viagogo for British Grand Prix tickets.
Most notably, these cultural endeavours have shifted the sport’s demographic, with a younger Gen Z and increasing female viewership (now making up 40 per cent of the overall fanbase), not to mention the growth seen across the pond in the US.
Clearly, there is no better time to be an F1 female creator and fangirl...
“Formula 1 has become more than just a sport, it’s a global cultural phenomenon, captivating millions through its drama, innovation and sheer spectacle,” Julian Dwenger, Director of International Business Development & Partnerships at Viagogo, told Indy100.
Fan atmosphere in the fan forum prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 04, 2025 in Northampton, England. Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
Building on this momentum, viagogo has announced its partnership with BWT Alpine F1 Team to make it easier for fans to hear the loud revving of an F1 engine, watch tense on-track battles and experience the immense fan atmosphere.
Last year was a record-breaking year for F1 attendance, with over 6.5 million people across the 24 Grand Prix weekends. This number looks set to grow if the 2025 F1 Global Fan Survey is anything to go by, as it indicates that 41 per cent of fans who haven't attended a race plan to in the future, suggesting a large part of the fanbase remains remote.
Overall, it’s estimated that 826.5 million made up the F1 fanbase last year, and so to maintain this engagement, it’s more important than ever to try and make race weekends as accessible to as many fans as possible.
“Our partnership with BWT Alpine F1 Team marks an exciting new chapter, giving fans direct access to official team tickets on our platform. It’s a first-of-its-kind partnership whereby viagogo directly issues tickets from BWT Alpine F1 Team on its platform, making it easier for fans around the world to attend their favourite races, and brings fans even closer to the action,” Dwenger added.
Outside of watching the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Pierre Gasly zoom around the track, a race weekend has become a music spectacle, too.
Just look at who headlined at Silverstone this year, you could have been mistaken for a popular British music festival, with the likes of Sam Fender, Blossoms, Jade, RAYE, Mabel, Fatboy Slim, Idris and Becky Hill making the lineup.
Raye performs on stage after practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 04, 2025 in Northampton, England. Photo by Jakob Ebrey/Getty Images
It’s clear that music also has a pull for attendance since when Silverstone announced the lineup back in February, Viagogo saw a 70 per cent increase in fans searching for F1 tickets compared to 7 days prior.
“F1 is fast becoming a must-see for everyone, combining world-class racing with headline music acts like Raye and Sam Fender. Fans now come for the high-speed action and the stadium-worthy entertainment, making the appeal of a Grand Prix weekend stronger than ever,” Dwenger explained.
The excitement for these acts was clear on social media, who were buzzing to see some of their favourite artists perform at the Grand Prix.
“Oh, you slayed with this year’s lineup,” one fan commented, giving their stamp of approval.
A second person added, "Raye and Jade on the same evening, incredible lineup this year."
"I for one love that you have live music in the evening. And the acts have gotten brilliant these past few years, thank you, Silverstone," a third person commented.
Meanwhile, TikToker @thatfestivalgirl highlighted the variety of the lineup, “You can see we can slowly transitioning from the indie, into the pop, into the dance.”
“Don’t really know much about the racing, not gonna lie, I’m just here for the music,” she added. Since her content is all about music festivals, it’s a clear instance of how F1 Grand Prix weekends are bringing in new audiences with their entertainment outside of the race.
This isn’t a completely brand-new concept. F1 fans and Swifties will remember Taylor Swift’s unforgettable performance at the United States Grand Prix in 2016, which is credited with saving the track’s place on the F1 calendar.
The pop star has also seen a similar surge in popularity to F1. Imagine the scenes if she did another F1 weekend performance in 2025, but it looks like she’s heading for the Super Bowl Halftime Show if the theories are to be believed…
There’s even more insane artist line-ups at the remaining Grand Prix weekends this year – Metallica, Post Malone, Katy Perry, and Benson Boone, in Abu Dhabi, heck, even Elton John is coming out of retirement to headline the Singapore Grand Prix, proving that it has the pull to attract big names.
All in all, what we can take from F1 shifting to the forefront of pop culture is that it lends itself to other areas of entertainment such as TV, film, fashion, lifestyle, travel, etc, while the 2026 regulation changes are set to spice things up next year, the F1 Grand Prix race weekend continues to be a sought-after ticket.
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