It was beyond my knowledge that I would have ended up loving a sport, when I decided to randomly click on the show, “Drive To Survive” on Netflix, when searching for something to watch that was outside of my comfort zone. By the fifth episode, I cared about nothing else, and only about the obnoxiously loud engines and cocky drivers that were the faces of the sport on my screen.
That sport is Formula 1.
Thanks to the help of the newly released film of June 2025, “F1: The Movie” and Netflix show “Drive To Survive”, Formula 1 has had a spike of attention — more than it has in the last seven years. So large that it has started to bring a frenzied unity of veteran fans and new fans of this sport. This raises many questions to the world, and more specifically to the fans of this racing sport.
What else makes it popular?
Is it because of the attractive drivers and fans rooting for their favorite team? Is it because of the drama that never stops in their world while it gives critics and fans something to talk about? Or is it just a “cool” bandwagon to jump on?
It can be all of the above. For me, it was the combination of the personalities that shine from all 20 drivers in their cars as well as out of their cars and the art of the sport itself.
There is something about the unashamed pride that they carry in their interviews in “DTS”, “Drive To Survive”, and seeing why or how fans liked and disliked the different drivers. I was fascinated by how they are able to separate friendships from the aggressive racing on the track (sometimes). I was invested in the unusual ways they trained; such as strength and endurance training, neck and core strength and reaction time drills. The science behind how the cars are made continue to evoke questions in me, and constant research due to cars changing every year.
I share a sincere love for Formula 1 with some, while other “fans” tend to focus on the drama and culture or the drivers looks within the sport. This makes diehard fans begin to question what the new fans are really in it for.
That poses two questions: What is the true thrill of Formula 1? What draws the world in to the sport?
There is something to be said about the idea of relating to the drivers and recognizing that they are people and not just celebrities with cool colors on their racing suits and wealth that they flaunt off track. While the drivers display their talents on track through aggression and competitiveness, and can receive backlash from fans for it, it’s important for fans to understand that they are doing what they are there for. That is, to race well with no exceptions.
On the other hand, there are fans that are capable of understanding that those drivers have imperfections just as we do. Through that, they are able to discover other characteristics of the drivers that make us realize they can have the same humor and traits as we do and that make us who we really are. Fans recognize those traits in pre or post race interviews, through DTS interviews, as well as social media itself, and instantly go “Hey, I think I could get along with that guy. We kinda think the same way!”
That’s what makes it inviting. It’s understanding a small portion about a celebrity that is beyond what you know and in a culture that you could never see yourself getting to be in. All the while still remembering and being able to separate their celebrity side; knowing they share the same, imperfect and humanistic traits as us fans do.
However, as the sense of connection draws people in, there is another part of the fandom that makes the world pose the question of what the real thrill is. Beyond the drivers and what we see about them – the culture of Formula 1 with it’s aesthetic and lifestyle – fans can tend to view this world as something “hip” to be obsessed with.
To put it in other words, it’s a bandwagon to some. The luxurious lifestyle that the drivers, wives and girlfriends (aka the WAGs) of Formula 1 have, is seen as unlimited access to a multitude of things such as clubs, paddock passes, hospitality areas and private transportation. Even brand deals seem to come to them with ease.
Our culture now has an urgency to attempt to gain what they most desire, such as expensive, materialistic things. Having the media and DTS to give a unique view of the Formula 1 lifestyle feeds into those wants, and allows for people to imagine themselves in that world.
I am not excluding myself from the category of wanting and fantasizing about being in the Formula 1 world. It’s normal to find yourself wondering what it would be like to be a part of it. But there is a fine line to draw of wondering, and beginning to lose the appreciation of the art of the sport itself.
That is not to say that the sport is not somewhat supported by the culture off the track. But when one focuses solely on the “aesthetic” of it, the art and science of the racing sport is lost.
When answering the question of what the true thrill is of Formula 1, and why it’s gained so much popularity, there is one answer: this brings unity of all kinds of people, and we as media consumers are constantly searching for things to relate to. This sport may bring people together for different reasons, but it ultimately pushes fans to understand that there IS something to be appreciated within this world of racing.
