Formula 1 fans are optimistic about progress made by the sport’s new owners, but are being turned off by lack of access to free coverage of the pinnacle of motorsport – that’s according to a massive survey undertaken by the Motorsport Network. 

Motorsport Network reveals F1 fan survey results
Motorsport Network reveals F1 fan survey results

The project has represented the largest ever undertaking to find out what fans worldwide really think of the sport, and the Motorsport Network has presented a full report on the findings to the people who run the sport at the Monaco Grand Prix this week.

Fewer fans are watching the sport since the last survey in 2015, thanks to the decline in availability of free-to-air coverage. Of 16-34-year-olds who took part, 45% of them said that they want to watch live streaming of F1 on tablets and mobile, and less than 0.5% of everyone quizzed wanted to watch races through a highlights-only format.

Mercedes-Benz remains the most popular team in the UK (though not in its home market, Germany), but Ferrari has an almost unassailable lead worldwide, with nearly double the fan support enjoyed by Mercedes. Nearly a third of all respondents listed Ferrari as their favourite team. 

Motorsport Network reveals F1 fan survey results

Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton has cemented his position as most popular driver worldwide, doubling his popularity since 2015 and almost matching Michael Schumacher in his heyday. Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen were podium finishers amongst F1 enthusiasts. 

Launched at the Australian Grand Prix in March, and working in conjunction with information experts at Nielsen Sports, the fan survey was conducted across 15 languages and got responses from close to 216,000 people from 194 countries around the world. 

 

“Formula 1 entered a period of great change in 2017 and it appears the fans believe the steps taken by the FIA are moving the sport in the right direction, and they are also encouraged by F1’s new owners, Liberty Media. These research results and the sentiment of the fans mirror our belief here at Motorsport Network,” says global editor-in-chief Charles Bradley.

“As the world’s biggest motorsport media network, we feel a sense of responsibility to help the sport in any way we can and we believe conducting research like this will certainly play a role in helping Formula 1 to reach even greater heights.”

 

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Gallery: Motorsport Network F1 fan survey results