Formula 1's Rising Female Fan Base is Driving Market Expansion

When it comes to sports entertainment, female teams tend to take the back seat to the male ones. Fortunately, the new F1 Academy is successfully evening the playing field.

Instead of fighting for a seat in a male-dominated sport, the recently-developed F1 Academy provides an empowering opportunity for young, female drivers to make a name for themselves in the industry, in an all-female racing space. Managing director and former racer herself, Susie Wolff, began this initiative in 2023 to better integrate women into the sport.

So, what exactly does this mean to the world of marketing?

Sparks CXO and co-founder of Women in Experiential (WIE), Robin Lickliter, recently wrote a piece for Sports Business Journal showcasing just how successful this new series has been for both women and brands alike.

As explained in Lickliter’s article, Formula 1 racing has a history of being a male-dominated sport with a male-dominated fanbase. In recent years, however, the fanbase has grown to include a strong female presence. This demographic expansion means “new ways to market, increasing the types of brands that show up, and presenting more creative ways for them to show out.” With a whole new set of audience members, F1 needed to form partnerships with strong, sensible businesses they’d never worked with before. And no doubt, those brands showed up.

Bringing in luxury names like Tommy Hilfiger and Charlotte Tilbury, Wolff succeeded in expanding F1’s cosmetic and fashion brand partnerships—those of which are typically associated with femininity. Another notable, new F1 partner is American Express, who’s giving back by supporting female-owned small businesses in the F1 Academy host cities. “Brands take note:,” Lickliter advises, “Newer fan bases are not always attracted to the legacy of the sport — they are far more likely to look forward.”

While F1 profits off of new partnerships, supporting brands expand their accessibility in appropriate marketing environments. Not to mention, the integration of women into what used to be a male-dominated space—further fostering female empowerment. Everybody wins.