The New Grid Girls: Why Instagramification is a Win for Young Women in F1

Formula 1, once an exclusive domain of hardcore motorheads and technical enthusiasts, has undergone a radical transformation over the last decade. It’s more than just a study in brand revitalisation – it’s a masterclass in audience engagement, digital strategy, and cultural positioning. The days of scantily clad grid girls parading the start line have been left behind, replaced by a new wave of fans and influencers who bring their own perspectives to the sport. Under the stewardship of Liberty Media, the sport has evolved into a global entertainment juggernaut with cross-industry appeal and a more diverse audience.

Women in pole position

Women are flocking to Formula 1 like never before. In 2022, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali revealed that women make up 40% of the sport’s global fanbase, an 8% surge since 2017. And these aren’t just armchair enthusiasts – women now represent half of the clientele for F1 travel packages, proving that they’re showing up in person, not just on Instagram feeds.

Many female fans are Gen Z and Millennials – think of them as the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster warriors of motorsport. These digital natives have transformed the way the fan base looks and feels. They’re as likely to follow a team’s TikTok account as they are to pore over post-race data. Plus, their spending power is reshaping the sport. F1’s partnership with Fanatics, a sports merchandise retailer, has seen sales soar by 200% since 2017. Why? Because young female fans don’t just consume—they invest in experiences, merch, and the culture surrounding the sport.

So how did Formula One increase its female audience base?

Liberty Media drives engagement

When Liberty Media acquired F1 in 2017, it threw the old playbook out the window and made social media the cornerstone of its growth strategy, encouraging teams, drivers, and the governing body itself to embrace it wholeheartedly.

Teams like Aston Martin took a humorous approach, adopting meme culture and “internet-speak” to resonate with younger fans. Twitter and TikTok became a playground for light-hearted content, with drivers gamely participating in viral challenges. Similarly, McLaren’s Unboxed series on YouTube showed how authenticity could forge deeper connections. By offering fans a glimpse into team life – from intense training to off-duty moments – teams added a personal, human touch to a sport otherwise defined by its high-tech, high-stakes image.

Fans returned the favour with enthusiasm, flooding timelines with memes, sharing highlights, and packing out grandstands. The digital-first strategy worked. Suddenly, fans had more ways to engage with the sport beyond simply watching races, with fresh content always just a scroll away.

Of course, no discussion of F1’s cultural renaissance would be complete without mentioning Netflix’s Drive to Survive. In a 2022 survey, a whopping 30% of fans cited Drive to Survive as the main reason they became interested in F1. Another project catalysed by Liberty Media, its dramatic storytelling brought the sport to millions who’d never cared about lap times or pit stops. Pulling back the curtain on drivers’ personalities, rivalries, and seat swapping gave new fans the tools to form emotional connections to teams and navigate the paddock politics.

Influencers: the new Paddock Club

Female influencers and driver partners, like Alexandra Saint Mleux (Charles Leclerc’s girlfriend) have become integral to F1’s modern allure, amplifying its glamour both on and off the track. But this isn’t a return to the noughties’ tabloid voyeurism – today’s fans are genuinely interested in the WAGs as personalities in their own right. Figures like Alexandra, who boasts over 1 million followers, are building their own celebrity profiles. Last month she collaborated with beauty brand Rhode on a social media campaign, underscoring the increasing value of influencer marketing within the sport. Brands like Charlotte Tilbury, the first female-founded beauty company to sponsor F1, further highlight the connection between motorsport and femininity, using their platforms to spotlight initiatives such as the F1 Academy for female drivers.

The paddock has also become a hub for female content creators, often invited by teams or sponsors to post engaging, viral content that brings fresh energy to the sport. Unlike traditional broadcasters, these influencers provide a playful, personality-driven perspective. For example, Madeleine White—an influencer with over 4 million TikTok followers— brought her vibrant storytelling to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, combining on-track and driver interviews with more casual ‘get ready with me’ style content.

Breaking barriers

As F1’s viewership continues to change, content from younger, non-male creators plays a vital role in maintaining the sport’s momentum – and keeping it accountable. Gen Z fans are driving discourse around inclusion and sustainability, pushing F1 to face the realities of modern fandom and mirror the diversity of the real world. Progress is slow but visible. The F1 Academy – a groundbreaking, all-female race series introduced in 2023 – is nurturing female talent on both racing grids and Instagram grids. Meanwhile trailblazers like driver Naomi Schiff and strategy analyst Bernie Collins are leading the charge in broadcasting, proving that women belong at every level.

Chequered Flag: Why does it matter?

For too long, F1 was a male-dominated, gated community. But thanks to Liberty Media, the internet, and a wave of fresh, female energy, the sport has opened its paddocks to everyone. By embracing digital culture and humanising its stars, F1 has expanded its reach and future-proofed its appeal. It’s allowed a new generation of female fans to fall in love with all aspects of racing, not despite its glamour but because of it.

Embracing change in the digital age can reinvigorate your brand and build loyalty among new audiences: adapt, innovate, and put people at the heart of what you do. Because, as F1 has proven, in an era of Instagram and instant connections, staying in the race means being willing to change lanes.