Liberty Media chief govt Derek Chang believes Method 1 has shifted from being a sequence to turning into a “cultural phenomenon” previously decade.
Chang was appointed as successor to Greg Maffei at the beginning of January, eight years on from when Liberty accomplished its acquisition of F1 and set about taking the sequence to new audiences, in new markets.
The findings of the 2025 International F1 Fan Survey, a collaboration between F1 and the Motorsport Community, are set to be revealed quickly however current developments have proven an uptick in girls participating with the championship, in addition to a youthful demographic now being energetic followers.
Chang, talking on the Autosport Enterprise Trade: Monaco, feels the adjustments – which have additionally seen a groundswell of American curiosity with races added in Miami and Las Vegas – have elevated F1 to a special degree.
“I feel when Liberty acquired Method 1 it was very a lot of a core motorsports activation,” he stated.
“I feel what we have performed over the past 10 years, below the stewardship of Chase Carey after which Stefano [Domenicali] is actually make this factor form of a cultural phenomenon that is gone properly past a core sports activities product.
“It begins with what occurs on the observe. It is a compelling product that we now have on the market, however the place we have gone to a way more mainstream and a broader leisure asset. You have seen it in Drive to Survive, you realize we now have the Apple film popping out this summer season, which can, once more, I feel renew a complete new degree of curiosity within the sport.
Autosport Enterprise Trade – Monaco
Picture by: Alberto Crippa
“Then I feel what you’ve got seen by way of the drivers and the way they take part inside what this model is all about now and the curiosity degree that folks have following the drivers – not simply what occurs to them on the observe, however what occurs to them of their lives. And once more, as we proceed to open the aperture of what Method 1 is all about, I feel you’ve got seen new manufacturers coming to us.”
Chang pointed to current offers signed by F1 as examples of how its partnerships have branched out from extra conventional B2B corporations to customer-facing manufacturers, which helps proceed the fan engagement away from the observe.
“We have gone from an endemic, advertising-based, sponsorship-based B2B to then B2C. We simply introduced a cope with Disney earlier this week, an incredible cope with Lego that we did final yr that of culminated in an ideal spectacle in Miami just a few weeks in the past with the life-size vehicles that we rolled across the observe.
“And I feel what you’ve got seen is the viewership continues to extend for Method 1…and also you’re bringing new individuals into the viewers on a regular basis. Children, informal followers, all that form of stuff.”
Whereas manufacturers and followers proceed to pour in from most corners of the globe, Chang admits there’s nonetheless loads of room for development within the big market in China.
The grand prix in Shanghai is now a agency fixture on the calendar however exterior of the race, there’s comparatively low pick-up, together with amongst companions.
A former chief govt of the NBA in China, Chang is eager to broaden into the big market the nation gives.
“After I was operating the NBA there, which in all probability was a preeminent international sports activities model in China on the time – and possibly nonetheless is – and having the ability to see the power that the Chinese language viewers has for sports activities, I feel Method 1 can proceed to develop in that nation.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
“We have been set again, to be trustworthy with you, with COVID as a result of we did not run a race there for 4 years. So we in all probability misplaced a while there over time, however there’s a legacy and a historical past of F1 in China.
“We have been in Shanghai for 20 years at this level. We had a Chinese language driver [Zhou Guanyu] who sadly shouldn’t be on the grid this yr, however perhaps sooner or later will come again. However look, it is 1.3billion individuals in China.
“Folks love sports activities there. They love manufacturers there. And I feel the place F1 can proceed to shine is that we’re such a high-end model and the manufacturers that we truly affiliate with, you are going to see that take up proceed to occur.
“We do have to proceed to construct there and put money into the game there. We’re throughout the foremost social media platforms. We’re on the Tencent and CCTV (China Central Tv), however we in all probability aren’t the place we want to be.
“We’ll proceed to speculate and make that occur as a result of it is such an enormous market and such an enormous marketplace for main shopper manufacturers that we actually need to proceed to develop that.”
On this article
Mark Mann-Bryans
Method 1
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