Heading to the 2024 F1 Pit Lane: Social Media and Sponsorship Analysis

The 2023 Formula 1 season was intense and full of emotions, with Red Bull Racing securing their sixth constructors’ title and Max Verstappen clinching the world championship for the third time. From the madness at Albert Park to thrilling victories in Miami, the new Grand Prix in Las Vegas, or the resurgence of Fernando Alonso. Motorsport fans experienced great moments throughout the 2023 season.

Teams and drivers are now all set for the start of the 2024 season, with social media continuing to play a crucial role in the world of sports and Formula 1 in a special way, given its global appeal with fans across the world.

What are the social media strategies of Formula 1 and its teams?

We zoom in on the number of followers that the competition and its participants have on each social network. We observe how Instagram is the social media platform with the highest number of followers for both Formula 1 and its teams, with a very similar figure for total followers and growth throughout the season.

TikTok is the channel where teams and Formula 1 saw the highest increase in followers during the previous campaign. Teams increased their follower base on this social network by 64.4%, while the organization saw a 51% increase. TikTok also had the highest figures in video views per post with an average of 978,225 among the teams. Formula 1 surpassed one million views per post on the short video platform; however, Instagram achieved the best results with over two million video views per post.

Investing in video platforms is a guaranteed success, as the numbers demonstrate they are the channels that perform best in terms of engagement and video views. Additionally, they allow for sharing similar content, even posting the same video on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, thereby optimizing the time of the social media department.

The Constructors’ Podium on Social Media

Last season brought Red Bull’s triumph once again, with the team not only securing the constructors’ championship but also claiming the top two spots in the drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.

Let’s analyze the performance of the official Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube channels of Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, the second and third-place finishers, respectively.

Red Bull’s 2023 is unbeatable: constructor’s championship and first and second place in the drivers’ standings. Their total growth of social media followers was 17.9%, with a notable surge in TikTok followers, increasing by 109% with 2.4 million new followers. Red Bull achieved impressive figures on short video platforms, particularly in views, averaging 1.1 million per post.

Mercedes is the team with the largest social media fanbase across the entire grid. During 2023, their fanbase increased by nearly five million followers, with an impressive 83.7% coming from TikTok (2.2 million) and Instagram (1.9 million). This growth not only highlights Mercedes’ popularity but also underscores the undeniable appeal of video-centric platforms among sports enthusiasts.

In 2023, Ferrari concluded the year with an impressive surge, garnering 4.5 million new followers. The bulk of this influx flocked from Instagram, totaling 2.5 million, while TikTok contributed a substantial 1.2 million. Moreover, Ferrari distinguished itself as the team with the highest overall engagement, boasting remarkable interaction rates per post on Instagram, with an average engagement of 192,000.

The Stars of the Track

As in other sports, drivers’ social media accounts are a valuable asset for teams and their sponsors, as they have a legion of followers who interact with their idols’ posts. Here are the top ten drivers on the grid with the most followers on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

When it comes to Formula 1 drivers’ social media presence, Lewis Hamilton leads the pack with 53.1 million followers. Following him is his new teammate for 2025, Charles Leclerc, with 23.9 million, while Max Verstappen boasts 17.6 million. It’s worth noting that Verstappen, a three-time consecutive championship winner, holds the third position, and his teammate ‘Checo’ Pérez, second in the championship, sits in eighth place in terms of followers.

George Russell was the most active driver on social media, with a total of 1200 posts throughout 2023. On the other hand, Fernando Alonso dominates TikTok with astonishing figures: 18.6 million total interactions, averaging 504.4 thousand interactions per post, and accumulating a total of 111.8 million views. Alonso’s presence on TikTok boasts an average of 3.3 million views per post, showcasing his popularity on this social platform where the Asturian navigates like a fish in water.

Ferrari’s present and future leaders top the social media charts

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, was the second driver with the highest total engagement and per-post engagement last season. The Briton leads the ranking in terms of followers, but in post performance, he is surpassed by his future teammate for 2025, Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc garnered over 130 million interactions throughout 2023, compared to Hamilton’s 111 million. The engagement per post on Leclerc’s social media was 483,103, with Instagram being the platform with the best results, exceeding one million interactions per post. Similar figures for Hamilton, who achieved an average engagement of nearly 450,000 per post, with an Instagram average of 991,000.

Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari has revolutionized the Formula 1 preseason and made global headlines. Since Ferrari announced Hamilton’s signing, the Italian team has gained 1.1 million new followers on social media, 817,000 of them on Instagram. This figure represents almost a quarter of Ferrari’s total new followers in 2023: 4.5 million.

In terms of engagement and views, the Hamilton effect has also been very positive. The engagement per post in February 2024 is 107,893, while the average interactions per post in 2023 were 48,166. Ferrari surpasses one million video views per post in February 2024, while in 2023, its average views were 403,739.

Like a Formula 1 racing car on the main straight, the announcement sped through social media at an incredible pace, capturing the attention of media outlets worldwide. The Cavallino Rampante racing team became the center of attention, receiving extensive coverage.

Pirelli and Puma, Leading Brands

Sponsorship in Formula 1 is a fundamental piece in the machinery that drives this sport. From circuits to drivers’ suits, every space is utilized by brands seeking to stand out and connect with a global audience. These strategic partnerships not only adorn race venues but also generate a tangible impact on television broadcasts and social media platforms.

Through our Sponsorship report platform, we have looked into which sponsors garnered the highest number of interactions in 2023 on official Formula 1, team, driver, and media posts.

Pirelli, the official tire supplier for Formula 1 teams, is the brand that achieved the most interactions in posts from the competition’s official channels in 2023, with a total engagement of 137.8 million. Pirelli ranks second as the brand that received the most engagement in posts from teams, drivers, and media outlets. Part of the exposure Pirelli received came from images of drivers wearing this brand on their caps.

The top spot in engagement on grid posts, from teams and drivers to media, goes to the sports equipment brand Puma. It is also the second sponsor with the most interactions in Formula 1’s official channel content. In total, Puma achieved over 435.5 million interactions throughout 2023, largely due to being the official brand of two of the three top finishers: Mercedes, and Ferrari.

Uncertainties of the 2024 Season

Hamilton’s signing with Ferrari has had a significant impact on the grid and will lead to several driver movements and many questions. Who will take his place at Mercedes? Which team will Carlos Sainz join?

But these are not the only uncertainties arising from the new season; there are others that we will resolve over the coming months. Will Verstappen secure his fourth consecutive championship? Will Fernando Alonso finally achieve his 33rd victory?

At Blinkfire, we will closely monitor everything that happens in the Formula 1 World Championship, both on and off the track.

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