How Female Fans Are Taking Over Formula 1

Drive to Survive, a Netflix docuseries that gives an inside look at Formula 1 races and the drivers’ lives (both on and off the track), has erupted in the U.S. over its past six seasons. So much so that one 2022 poll found that 28% of Americans considered themselves an F1 fan, and more than half of those self-identified fans specifically cited the show as to how they got into the sport. And now, fans are traveling all over the globe to experience the action in person — including more women than ever before.

Grand Prix Grand Tours, an F1 travel company offering all-inclusive packages for the motorsport’s most popular race weekends, recently revealed to Travel + Leisure via email that nearly half of its clientele is made up of female fans.

“It’s incredible to see more women looking to venture out and experience the thrill of F1 events for themselves. Traditionally, we would have seen ladies buying F1 packages for male friends and relatives but not always attending themselves, leaving the men to have all the fun,” Simon Mawdsley, co-founder of Grand Prix Grand Tours, said. “While we still do see many women purchasing our trips for the men in their lives, they are now doing so with the intention of going themselves or adding an extra ticket for the giftee’s girlfriend or wife. It wasn’t like this just a few years ago.”

Perhaps part of that growth is through the introduction of the F1 Academy, an initiative by Formula One to develop female drivers and encourage their participation in the sport. The group of 15 women, competing across three continents for the first time, just finished their season’s North American leg at the Miami Grand Prix.

Related: F1 Is One of the Most Exciting Sports to Travel for — Here’s the 2024 Lineup

Abbi Pulling, an 18-year-old UK native with six years of racing experience, led the pack in both Rounds 1 and 2 in Miami. With these two victories — and another back in March in Saudi Arabia — she’s well-positioned to dominate in upcoming series events in Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Alongside Pulling, who represents team Rodin Motorsport, is French-born Lola Lovinfosse, who drove another noteworthy vehicle on the course — the Charlotte Tilbury car, which made history as the first-ever female-founded beauty brand to sponsor an F1 Academy race car. The customized vehicle has Charlotte Tilbury branding all over it, including the company’s empowering motto, “Makeup Your Destiny!” and imagery of its “Hot Lips Icons” lipstick collection.

Of course, the men’s teams get to have some fun too. Be it Japan, Australia, Monaco, or right here in the United States, F1 races are hosted in some of the world’s most sought-after travel destinations, making it the perfect sporting event to plan a trip around. And for East Coasters like me looking to get in on the action without venturing too far from home, the third annual Miami Grand Prix was an obvious choice. 

The massive campus within the Hard Rock Stadium complex had endless spots to watch drivers zip around the 3.3-mile track, from the grandstands to trackside suites. My viewing spot, the Liquid I.V. Race House, happened to have some of the best seats in the house. The company teamed up with Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix this year as its first-ever functional hydration partner — a much-needed product in the sweltering Miami heat, and a partnership that will last through at least the next few years.

“It’s a really great opportunity to have such a high-impact partnership with a sport that’s very much at the forefront of culture,” Stacey Andrade-Wells, VP of marketing for Liquid I.V., shared. “We’re able to meet our consumers in a space where they’re super engaged and interested.”

The top two levels of the Liquid I.V. race house were open-air and had a view of the track on both sides. One side was directly across from the winner’s podium, which eventually gave us a front-row seat to the historic moment when Lando Norris sprayed a bottle of Ferrari Trento in celebration of his first Grand Prix victory. The bottom floor was an indoor hang-out spot with A/C, lots of comfortable seating, catered meals, and a bar with complimentary Liquid I.V. mocktails on a never-ending rotation.

Looking to experience an episode of “Drive to Survive” IRL? There’s still time to secure tickets for F1 events right here in the U.S., including the Pirelli United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas (Oct. 18-20, 2024) and the second annual Las Vegas Grand Prix (Nov. 21-23, 2024), at tickets.formula1.com. And if you’re looking to make an international trip out of it, plenty of races are happening across Europe, Asia, and South America through the remainder of the year. But you’ll have to bring your own Liquid I.V. with you for those — or come back to Miami for the F1 event in 2025 for the ultimate girls, guys, partner, family, or solo getaway. Because everyone’s invited.