Domenicali says F1 is closing in on 1 billion fans as female audience hits 40% of new growth

Formula 1 is on the verge of reaching one billion global fans, CEO Stefano Domenicali announced, crediting a surge in female viewership, younger audiences, and greater access to driver personalities for the sport’s rapid expansion.

Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Domenicali put a figure on the milestone the sport is chasing. “We are almost at 1 billion fans. We hopefully come back here, Jimmy, to celebrate that target, that number. But it is huge,” he said.

The headline statistic from Domenicali’s appearance was the gender shift in F1’s fanbase. “We are attracting young audiences, and now also a lot of females that are following us. And that’s great. 40% of new fans are women,” he said.

Domenicali attributed a significant share of that growth to the decision to open up access to the sport’s 22 drivers beyond the cockpit. Netflix’s Drive to Survive series and the drivers’ own social media platforms have helped build personal profiles that resonate with audiences who might not have engaged with pure racing coverage. “Normally you see them with the gloves, with the helmet, with the overalls, so you don’t recognise them. Now we have opened it up for them to be known,” he explained.

The CEO also pointed to the continued strength of F1’s footprint in the United States, where the sport now holds three grands prix in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. He noted that the logistical complexity of the Las Vegas Strip circuit has been justified by sell-out crowds.

Domenicali further highlighted the commercial success of the F1 feature film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, which grossed over $634 million at the global box office after being filmed during real race weekends, as further evidence of the sport’s mainstream cultural reach.

With a calendar spanning 24 races across the globe — Domenicali mentioned upcoming stops in Baku, Malaysia, and Singapore — Formula 1 is pressing its case as one of the world’s most broadly followed sports, and its CEO appears confident the billion-fan barrier will fall in the near future.