Enzo Ferrari is known for stating, “If you ask any child to draw a car, they’ll draw a red one.” Sofia Valente Pierini exemplified this sentiment during her childhood.
She reminisced, “Every Sunday when we visited, my maternal grandfather, my Nonno, would have his small tube TV from the early 2000s set up on the kitchen counter.” The Formula One Grand Prix would be on, and Valente Pierini’s gaze would instinctively follow the Ferraris.
In 2025, Lewis Hamilton, her favorite driver, donned the legendary red attire for the first time, and by June 2026, he celebrated his maiden Grand Prix victory as a Ferrari driver.
Valente Pierini confessed, “Being a fan of both Hamilton and Ferrari has been an emotional rollercoaster.” Since 2022, she has created F1 content under the username @formulasofia, much of which reflects the emotional journey of being a Ferrari supporter. “Seeing him on the top step of that podium was incredible; it felt like a homecoming.”
Valente Pierini is part of a fresh wave of content creators who are reshaping the F1 media landscape for a younger and more diverse audience — one that might have previously only associated the sport with a faded Ferrari banner in their grandfather’s living room.
In conjunction with the hugely popular Netflix series Drive to Survive, user-generated content is engaging a new generation of F1 fans, similar to how radio once drew baseball and hockey enthusiasts.
Different sports suited to different media
Each advancement in broadcasting technology has had unique characteristics that made it particularly suited to specific sports. According to Stacy Lorenz, vice dean at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus and a professor focused on the sociology and history of sport, F1’s online presence is the latest example of media synergy elevating a sport to cultural prominence.
For instance, Lorenz highlighted how radio transformed baseball into America’s pastime and solidified hockey’s place in Canadian culture, noting that radio’s play-by-play commentary was ideally suited for baseball’s sequential play.
“The pauses that allow for storytelling between pitches? That narrative style really fits well,” he explained.
Similarly, Lorenz observed that dynamic sports like basketball and football flourished on television, utilizing multi-camera setups to capture the action across the entire field.
A thrilling lap at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. With a limited number of drivers all competing simultaneously, fans find F1 an accessible sport. (Getty Images)
In Lorenz’s perspective, F1’s connection with short-form video and streaming represents the next natural evolution in this progression. He specifically points to the significance of the “placeless consumer,” referring to fans who are not geographically tied to a sport, unlike a Leafs supporter in Toronto.
“I believe F1 represents the most advanced form of that experience we currently have,” he remarked. “You can follow these sports live from anywhere, while also engaging with the surrounding culture, storylines, and narratives through various media.”
New ownership, new ideas
James Hinchcliffe, a former IndyCar driver who hosts the podcast Off Track with Hinch and Rossi and provides commentary and analysis for F1TV, asserts that everything shifted with Liberty Media’s acquisition of F1 in 2017.
<p"When Liberty took over, there was a natural openness to embrace digital and online initiatives, which hadn't been part of Formula One before," he explained.
James Hinchcliffe, a former IndyCar driver and current commentator for F1 TV, believes the ownership change ushered in a new era for F1 media. (Getty Images)
According to Laurel Walzak, an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of RTA Sports Media, the Liberty acquisition marked a transformative moment for the sport.
“It’s akin to what hockey accomplished 10 or 15 years ago when they recognized that to help people connect with the sport, they needed to reveal the players behind their helmets,” Walzak noted, referring to initiatives like walk-in cameras at arenas and in-game bench or locker room interviews. “And Formula One has excelled at that on social media.”
-
Why F1 racing is set to become the next big fashion show
-
COMMOTION
Why we’re still watching Formula 1: Drive to Survive, 8 seasons in
Hinchcliffe believes Drive to Survive demonstrated how effortlessly fans can engage with F1 drivers as if they were characters in a reality show. With only 22 drivers in the sport and all of them racing every weekend, placing cameras in the paddock ensures a steady stream of content.
“With the presence of strong personalities and big egos, all these elements create the ideal recipe for a successful reality-style program,” he stated.
McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris celebrating a ‘McLaren One-Two’ at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix. Hinchcliffe believes F1 drivers are just the engaging characters viewers seek. (Getty Images)
Online content a big draw for fans
Valente Pierini points out that F1 is a tightly-knit sport, as many drivers have been friends since their childhood days in junior racing leagues.
“The content landscape is built upon a lot of their interpersonal drama,” she remarked. “However, at the core, there’s something truly beautiful about the community.”
Cadence Willie, who shares F1 content with over 80,000 followers on Instagram under the handle @cadencebraking, states that the F1-focused corners of the internet enable fans to personalize their experiences, algorithmically connecting them to aspects of the sport that resonate with them.
Willie noted, “You could definitely say the Netflix bubble has burst,” explaining that the content being generated in social media is just as appealing to new fans as Drive to Survive.
With every F1 car equipped with multiple cameras and team radios, creators have an abundance of footage to draw from, allowing them to address specific niches and expand on what Willie describes as the various types of F1 lore, including memes and high-profile relationships.
“Once the basic information is readily available, it’s easy to take the next step,” Willie said. “There’s truly something for everyone.”
Valente Pierini hopes that the recent surge in digital accessibility within the F1 realm will lead to greater affordability as well. Despite being an F1 content creator living in a Grand Prix city, she still finds it challenging to afford tickets.
“It’s always been such a glamorous sport, and now there are young people and fans everywhere tuning in,” she expressed. “I wish it were more accessible to the general public.”
