Creating a safe space for F1's female fanbase

Formula One is experiencing a surge in its female fanbase, with up to 40% of the fanbase being women. In 2019, women made up 20% of race’s trackside attendance, but in 2024, that number rose to 33%. Specifically, women aged 16-24 are the fastest growing group, according to Nielsen data.

Manon, who runs the @manon_racing_team Instagram account, is one of these fans. Although she began watching F1 as a child with her father, she began her Instagram account only six months ago. She has already gained over 2,500 followers. She creates informative videos, in addition to organizing in-person meet-ups, including a race watch for the Azerbaijan GP and a Christmas-themed race watch for the Qatar GP. All of Manon’s meet-ups are female-only, and come with homemade “Paddock Passes”, decorated tickets, and other themed items. She started creating Instagram content, and organizing these events, because she “liked the idea of being able to create a safe place for girls in this male-dominated sport.” 

Even in Manon’s carefully cultivated community, however, she can still feel the effects of misogynistic men. “I had a video where I had misogynistic comments, but I’m lucky to have a mainly female community and if there are men, they are benevolent and respectful men,” she said.

Although the female viewership is growing, the sport and its fanbase has remained in the past. “Unfortunately the first instinct when I say that I like F1 is to think it’s because I find the drivers beautiful,” Manon said. She explained that she often has to ‘prove’ her love for F1, often by showing the work she does on her Instagram. “A man is not asked to prove that they are a fan just for the beauty of the drivers. And this comment comes from both women and men, so it is an idea rooted not only in men but also in women,” she said.

Why do women like racing if not for the hot drivers? Well, for the same reasons as the men. “I like the fact that the discipline brings us different aspects and is complete. The competition with the aspect of the sport itself and the athletes, the automotive technical aspect, the family/team side of the garage to be supported with a sense of belonging,” Manon said. Natasha Khosla, who has been a fan since 2023, added that “one of the reasons I like it is because it’s not an individual sport. There’s a team- like mechanics and so much more that goes into it.” 

In comparison, James Huff, a fan since early 2024, said he enjoyed Formula One due to “the pit crews being extremely fast and efficient, with how racers have to train, many times since they were young in order to be the best, and also how the margin of error that these drivers have to deal with is extremely thin.” After a pause, he added, “also Max [Verstappen] is hot.”

Hypocrisy may run rampant among the stereotypes.

Formula One has historically been, and remains, a male-dominated sport, both on and off track. There have only been five drivers in the sport since its inception in 1950 and none since the turn of the century. Still, according to F1, only 30.4% of the workforce in the sport is female. The female fanbase may be large now, but just in 2017, female fans made up only ten percent of the overall fanbase. Misogynistic ideals remain seeped into the sport, coming to a head in the 2024 season when Red Bull Racing suspended a female employee after she accused Team Principal Christian Horner of being “inappropriate and controlling.”

Still, Manon, and other female content creators across platforms, create an environment where women feel welcome, even amongst a sport often stuck in the past. “Diversity is important in any environment,” Manon said. “The representation of women makes it possible to have a different vision, bring other elements to this sport but also to be able to inspire other women and reach another audience.” 

The female presence in F1 often goes unnoticed. Manon has a series where she introduces her followers to women, past and present, that have influenced F1. Included in those lists are names such as Hannah Schmitz, who works as Red Bull Racing’s Principal Strategy Engineer and helped lead the team to two championships in 2022 and 2023, Susie Wolff, a former professional driver who now is the managing director for the all-female racing series F1 Academy, and former drivers Maria Teresa de Filippis, Lella Lombardi and Desiré Wilson. Manon was quick to point out this list is not extensive. 

In addition to growing female representation, Manon creates educational content about the sport, giving her followers knowledge to fall back on. She focuses on recent news, but also provides information about each circuit. 

Having more female fans, and representation in Formula One itself, also opens up an interest in engineering, another discipline that is heavily male-dominated. While Manon received some car education from her father, a car lover, she said she “mainly learned due to F1.” The same goes for Natasha, who watches F1 partially because “it’s interesting how the tires work, car upgrades, weather, etc work together.” 

It is through creating these bubbles in the internet, a safe place to learn and just enjoy the sport, that women begin to grow interested. When a community stops looking homogenous, it begins to feel like there might be a spot for everyone. Women enjoy F1 too, and not for vain reasons. They deserve to have a place in the community.