Austrian Grand Prix: Trending Topics on the Track and Social Media

In this season of the Formula 1 World Championship, it’s no longer always the same winner. With George Russell‘s victory yesterday, there are now five drivers from four different teams who have won in 11 Grand Prix races. The Austrian Grand Prix left us with an epic battle between Verstappen and Norris that will be talked about for a long time. However, as we explore much deeper in our blog, we bring you a summary from a different perspective—the social media and sponsorships surrounding the Formula 1 championship.

George Russell’s victory was Mercedes’ first win this year. The British team is the fourth to have claimed the top spot on the podium this season: Oracle Red Bull Racing has achieved it seven times, Scuderia Ferrari HP twice, and McLaren Racing and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 once each.

Using Blinkfire’s Global Ranking, we have compared these four Formula 1 teams to see which has generated the most engagement during the first six months of 2024. Despite their superiority on the track, Red Bull does not dominate on social media; that territory is led by Ferrari, which has over 350 million interactions, 130 million more than the team leading the constructors’ and drivers’ championships.

Top Posts from the Austrian Grand Prix 

Here are the four posts from the Formula 1 channels, their teams, and drivers that garnered the most interactions during the week of the Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. George Russell’s victory features in two of the four posts with the highest engagement, and for good reason: it marks the British driver’s second victory and his team’s first win in 33 races.

This season hasn’t been as fruitful for the Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. However, the two-time world champion continues to generate valuable content on social media and serves as an example to many for his adept handling of these platforms, especially TikTok, a channel he masters perfectly.

Once again, we see how the driver transfer market greatly interests fans. In recent days, several teams have renewed their drivers, but there are still seats available, which sparks a lot of conversation.

Capturing the ‘Player Arrival’ in Formula 1: A Fusion of Fashion and Branding Opportunities

One of the most popular content series in the world of Formula 1 is the ‘Player Arrival’. This moment offers fans a unique glimpse of their idols, showcasing them in a more relaxed and intimate setting. The drivers become true fashion and style icons, with British driver Lewis Hamilton being a prime example. Each time they arrive at the circuit, their clothing and accessories choices immediately capture the attention of fans and media alike, sparking conversations on social media.

Integrating brands into these posts could present a compelling opportunity to enhance product visibility among avid Formula 1 fans. By aligning with the drivers’ distinctive styles and iconic fashion choices, brands could significantly amplify their recognition and resonance. Leveraging the influential reach of Formula 1 drivers on digital platforms could effectively drive engagement and fan interaction well beyond the confines of the racetrack.

Portrait of the Formula 1 Fanbase

Through data extracted from our platform, we want to know how Formula 1 followers are and which has been their favorite platform during the first half of this year 2024.

In terms of distribution of engagement and video views per post, Instagram is the social network that accumulates the highest number of interactions. 79.2% of interactions per post for Formula 1 come from Instagram and the remaining 14.9% from TikTok. While in the field of views, 69.3% are from instagram and 13.7% from TikTok.

These networks are also the ones with the best engagement rate, i.e. they are the ones where the ratio of interactions to impressions is highest. This means that in addition to reaching a large number of people, they manage to capture their attention and transform it into interactions. In the first six months of the year, TikTok has an engagement rate of 15% and Instagram 8.7%.

Instagram shines

The figures for Instagram and TikTok confirm that the era of short videos continues, and that they should play a fundamental role in an organization’s marketing strategy. But in the case of Formula 1’s Instagram account this season’s data is not that they are good, but that they far exceed those of the first half of 2023.

Formula 1 has experienced impressive growth on Instagram in 2024, with a 118.5% increase in new followers compared to the previous year. It has also significantly improved engagement per post, impressions per post and ratings per post. But the star data, which demonstrates the good form of this account, are its views per post, which have risen by an astonishing 312% compared to 2023.

As a curious fact, during the first six months of the year, Formula 1 published 41% fewer videos than in the first half of 2023. This shows that the strategy of prioritizing quality over quantity is yielding positive results. Although formats such as the short video are very fashionable, it is important not to saturate them and make sure that each publication provides value and is relevant to the audience.

Track, Value, and Manage Your Sponsorships with Blinkfire

Blinkfire’s suite of products and real-time data allow organizations to track and evaluate sponsorships on social media, digital platforms, Advanced TV, and broadcasts. Get in touch to learn more about how Blinkfire can help your team build more sophisticated sponsorship strategies.