In the paddock, in 2022, I pushed back on what I deemed to be harmful comments from "Jackie Stewart" and the man in front of me said - "You mean Sir Jackie Stewart". Yes
2min later, man says "oh well you know Lewis..."
"You mean Sir Lewis Hamilton right?" I said. I walked off
I'm not going to say I told you so. Oh, Actually I'm absolutely going to say that.
I called this back in 2022 during my 2023 predictions - the sport will plateau and no longer see the growth it's experiencing. I was told I was delusional.
Numbers are down. Here's why 🧵
F1 has witnessed a dramatic drop in social media numbers off the back of Red Bull’s domination, a new data has revealed 👀 📱
Buzz Radar data suggests that mentions of F1 are down 70.2% in the first 5 months of 2023 compared to 2022 📉
Are you following
#F1
less this year?
An absolute pleasure and treat to meet
@TheBishF1
So many incredible stories and a very clear (and good) vision for the future of this sport.
#MiamiGP
#IAMMIAMI
David Mitchell describing F1 as ‘televised traffic’ is my new favourite explanation of F1.
From now on, Sunday mornings are when I tune into televised traffic
I think it’s time we stop punching down on athletes. The amount of hate F1 drivers are getting for simply being flawed humans (which we all are) and/or facing their limitations is absolutely wild.
The amount of ppl focusing on this type of content feels cheap/easy.
This is so incredibly impressive. Watch F1 drivers listen to their onboard audio of the cars changing gears and guess which track this was from 🤯
Link -
1. Yes it's important and relevant, as women are too often overlooked in this space.
2. If she was staying then this should be big news because she has become 1/3 of the brand and she is representing continuity which is huge
3. If she is going she deserves recognition too.
An audience with Seb.
Today, a lucky group of I / AM members got the chance to attend an exclusive event in Austin hosted by
@ToniCowanBrown
, including meeting and spending time with Seb ahead of the
#USGP
.
They won't forget this in a hurry.
#IAM
Max is not the reason F1 is no longer growing. We've had many periods of dominance in the sport. This isn't it.
F1/Liberty media didn’t put in the work with fans for the past five years as much as they should have and now the numbers have plateaued and in some cases decreased.
Well if Max can become a World Champion for the third time in the row, I can swallow my fear and press publish on my first ever YouTube video 🫣🫣🫣
I’ll be doing short 5-8min videos on tech, culture and F1 topics.
Apparently a result of F1’s most recent growth is the 📈demand for ‘Motorsport shoes’. Why?
F1 is expensive and most can’t afford to attend races but esports and simulators are the next best thing. So all related products, including the racing shoes are in demand.
Just another intersection of sports (specifically F1) and tech. Clever to use Charles Leclerc for this.
I want to know the details of this partnership so bad.
🏎 Okay. So I did a thing w/ some epic people
The third edition of the (Beginner's) Guide to F1 is now up. And this year I really wanted to make it as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.
Check out the contributors' section too :)
Indeed. I’m also so surprised to hear from a handful of the ‘old F1 guard’ pundits the narrative of:
heroes putting it all on the line and risking it all. That’s what the best athletes in the world do.
Are we still really doing this? I’m puzzled
I can’t help but think that had, god forbid, a driver ended up passing out yesterday & having a serious accident that this debate about “challenging conditions” would be very different.
Just because the worst didn’t happen, doesn’t mean the warning signs should be ignored.
#F1
Absolutely incredible footage and so many different angles capturing the first ever
@netflix
Cup.
Is it also absolute chaos? Yes yes it is and it’s honestly a breath of fresh air.
The ways in which the future of sports is about to get an upgrade. From an F1 perspective, imagine how many fans could really experience races from their living room.
Disney CEO, Bob Iger explains how Apple’s Vision Pro can complement the Disney experience.
#WWDC23
Instead, they surfed the hype. But hype bubbles don't create fans or stickiness. Fan engagement does and that has been missing.
This year, we saw a significant drop, with ABC losing a staggering 25% of its audience from the previous season.
Incredible day yesterday in the
@AstonMartinF1
garage. Lots of good content coming your way on TikTok.
And here are some pics from the
@tiktok_us
live and some BTD footage.
More here:
From
@TheAthletic
: Will fans see a woman competing in Formula One in the next decade? Abbi Pulling’s story shows the barriers to entry even the fastest women face when competing in motorsport.
Great thread on the uniqueness of the Sky & F1 broadcasting deal.
However, I don't think that the next generation of F1 fans will come from this.
These fans are hanging out in corners of the internet that neither Sky nor F1 seem to have heard of. Their engagement needs differ too
Growing audiences across all regions, with in particular younger and female audiences is music to the ears of the industry. This extension has been met with some mixed response of fans, however it’s undeniable the growth of the sport through this partnership is win-win for Sky+F1
THANK YOU to everyone who's checked out the 3rd edition of the F1 Guide and sent me your feedback. 🙌
As a reminder, treat the guide as your race weekend companion. Bookmark it and go back to it when you have questions. I'll be keeping it up-to-date.
Thank you to the entire
@AstonMartinF1
team for having me this weekend.
It was an absolute whirlwind of an experience. From spending time in the garage, to the TikTok live in the paddock, talking with Alpinestars, meeting fans, and a hot lap w/
@HulkHulkenberg
🙇♀️
Incredible - a few of us missed the message from Max and we all looked at each other and said what did he say?
No idea.
We all went to Twitter and realised we were all going to
@ChrisMedlandF1
‘s profile knowing he would have it 😂😂😂
Verstappen told of the penalty (and exactly this about the fact he's already two seconds ahead), replies:
"Yeah that's fine, send them my regards!"
#F1
#LasVegasGP
Five
#F1
2022 predictions that came true:
1. Paying attention to all fans will help teams and drivers create better F1 merchandise + loyal fans
2. Rise of content creators in F1
3. Bumble BFF in F1
4. Drones in F1
5. Crypto to become the new tobacco (called this in 2021)
2023 will be the year where I feel like I've needed to quadruple-check all the information I'm getting online.
And I've never felt more unsure about the info, the accuracy and the sources.
I feel like I need another media literacy crash course
The amount of data flowing from the cars to the pit wall back to HQ and back again on any given weekend is astronomical - each car alone produces 1.5 terabytes of data during a single race weekend.
And truly merch is the lowest barrier for entry for loyal fans - especially younger fans. Maybe 2023 is the year F1 decides to finally offer a wider variety and get creative with their merch.
They may be surprised by the sales.
This year is the first time in 2 decades that F1 will control and produce the broadcasting for the Monaco GP. The aim is to offer and guarantee consistent experiences for fans globally.
In the 90s it wasn’t uncommon for GP events to be produced by free-to-air local broadcasters
well some of us did see this coming (yes I'm tapping into my bragging rights)
Here are my three takes on why the growth is slowing down and decreasing.
Video recap here -
COTA's
#F1
US Grand Prix in
#Austin
suffered a drop in fan attendance in 2023 📉
Was it competition from
#Miami
&
#Vegas
? Or the sprint race format? 🤔
Find out more from the man in charge 👇
#F1
2023 predictions:
1. Drivers as creators
2. Audience growth will plateau
3. Creators hired to collaborate w/ traditional media
4. More opinionated pieces on women in motorsports
5. A lot more politics and activism in F1
7. More watch party content on Twitch & elsewhere
Especially when most of us (probably all of us) couldn't handle even 10% of the verbal and social abuse they get daily.
And yes, I am halfway through the Beckham documentary and it brought up a lot for me about collective hate and social abuse.
Phenomenal footage. But do you know who's behind it and what he does differently to get THE shot?
Meet Jean-Michel Tibi, a Senior F1 cameraman who's been in this space for 30+ years.
A staple of the paddock - known by most personnel & drivers.
F1 was so close too. They even created a new role "to be in charge of expanding F1 content production and creating new relationships and partnerships with creators".
That second part of the job was almost immediately dropped - massive missed opportunity IMO
@katyfairman
Same here. I'm all for pushing to the limit but I feel like we've passed the limit. Surely this isn't expected that 1/3 of the grid is sick/ill after a race.
This year is the first time in 2 decades that F1 will control and produce the broadcasting for the Monaco GP. The aim is to offer and guarantee consistent experiences for fans globally.
In the 90s it wasn’t uncommon for GP events to be produced by free-to-air local broadcasters
I have never seen this many 'sports dudes' talking about Taylor Swift (and in such a positive way) or any female pop/cultural icon for that matter.
I'm pretty sure they've confused the hell out of the algorithms.
Been going LIVE on TikTok for a few weeks and something wasn't quite right.
Well, TikTok enhances your face when you go live by default - smooth skin, big eyes & small jaw.
pic 1 is me normally
pic 2 is w/ TikTok's default enhancement features
pic 3 is w/ these features at 100%
As the
#F1
season is kicking off, here are some of my favourite discoveries about the sport from the past few years.
1. Being a pit crew member in F1 isn’t a job in itself. Existing team members apply to also be part of the pit crew.
This is so cool.
I often talk about how this sport - F1 and F1 Academy - can feel so removed from the fans but it also has some of the most vocal, dedicated and loyal fans.
This team is using track and race data to create digital memorabilia to commemorate these moments. 🤩
The reason I love this investment play is that for so long F1 has felt like such a siloed sport with little overlap and integration with other sports and athletes.
Having athletes from Golf, football, boxing, NFL.. allows for this spillover which is brilliant for the sport.
"Let's use gimmicks to try and keep fans watching the sport instead of finding new ways to grow the sport since we can't rely on drive to survive anymore" is what they mean.
Bernie's water sprinklers are looking very appealing right now.
I'm pretty stoked at how the conversation w/
@benedictevans
turned out on all things F1, 50s experimental aircraft, and technology.
And it's a timely one too following Sunday's frightening
#F1
accident.
🎙 Listen here:
Let's talk drones and sports. Last week I went to the Netflix Cup - first-ever live broadcast done by Netflix.
They heavily leaned on drones to tell the full story of the event.
Formula 1 has started to introduce drones into the sports but we aren’t quite there yet w/ the tech
Incredible. Some people won't understand how powerful this is. But as someone who lost a parent young, I would give anything to relive moments and memories with such clarity.
Anyone who lost a loved one at a young age knows that feeling when you no longer remember the details.
Capture and relive memories in 3D. "Vision Pro is apples first 3D camera". you can capture new memories (meaning, record) right from the device and playback later
#WWDC23
Another fun discussion with the Unlapped crew. Thank you to
@ESPNF1
for having me again.
Also yes I listen with my eyes 👀 They tell a whole story, no words needed.
Storytime about
#F1
, fandom, the economic power of the fangirls and the social relevancy they create.
The F1 numbers are pretty wild, and both
@BoxToBoxFilms
's DTS and the F1 Fangirls have undoubtedly breathed new life into the sports.
A huge thank you to
@LydiameeF1
for going on this journey with me. I don't think I've ever shared the complete story of how I started in F1, what I'm trying to do with Sunday Fangirls and what fuels and scares me.
She has done the most incredible job of capturing it all. 🙌
Had such a great time speaking with
@ToniCowanBrown
about women in motorsport, shifting viewpoints, and co-hosting The Red Bulletin podcast. Had so much to talk about, I've had to split the interview into 2 😂 First part below:
In Austin, I joined a
@Motorsport
panel w/ some smart people.
@wbuxtonofficial
and I both spoke about the perfect storm in which Drive To Survive was able to thrive. We came at it from different lenses.
Two days before the panel, I published this piece-
Drive to Survive Made Americans Fall in Love With Formula 1
Solid piece by
@bruceschoenfeld
but how do you write such a long piece about F1 having a second chance at relevancy without talking about the content the fans & creators creating content daily?
@Alex_Gillon
@EngineMode11
you would be surprised (but really shouldn't be) at how often their names come up. In what context, I'll leave that up to your imagination.
@brrrake
Welcome my friend. It's the biggest paradox on TikTok for me - oh good god get to the point (its a 30sec video) AND also you missed this exception, also that's not the complete explanation, there is more to it than that... 🤷♀️
Massive congrats to the team at
@Commsor
for this and so well deserved. 🥳
I first met
@TheTeaGuns
over two years ago and his ideas for this company and beyond never cease to amaze me.
I'm also delighted to be joining the team this year as an advisor.
We’re excited to announce that we've raised a $50m
#CommunityLed
Series B, anchored by
@atomico
, a number of other incredible funds, and a community of 150+ individual investors. 🦕
Many reasons why the W Series couldn't continue (highlighting how far we have yet to go in this space).
But one reason is very obvious - the bland & lacklustre coverage this series has received, void of real opinions and emotions.
These sports aren't boring. Your coverage is
Something fascinating is happening; we create videos w/ social/digital-first audience in mind, but we recognise when a piece of content is so good that it deserves to be watched on a big screen - our TV. We give it our fuller attention. This isn't linear TV. It's something else
This story is the ultimate Sunday Fangirl story - an
#F1
brand listening to its new & younger female fans and taking them seriously. This is what 'not leaving money on the table' looks like. Congrats
@AstonMartinF1
And this is also the face of perseverance if I ever saw it. 🙌
@dr_obbs
And it's not 'purely' a tech problem, it's a human problem. The creators and media who do this know that there is a large audience who will consume it so we are all to blame. I'm just at a loss for how we decrease this and who we hold accountable.
And it’s understandable, F1 produces 20+ shows/year whereas Tele Monte Carlo only has once a day to hone their skills.
F1 moving it in-house (FOM), with "new and improved angles in addition to traditional shots around the twists and turns of the principality."
In June 2022, I questioned if Apple's $2.5Billion MLS deal could become a blueprint for F1 - i.e. was the broadcasting landscape going to change as more streaming companies were betting BIG on live sports content.
Watch full video -
A moment of appreciation for the networks and infrastructures that are built to help power such events from the back of office to the on-track action.
#TFBLVGP
#tmobileforbusiness
#ad
Monaco is unique in many ways. One of those is that Monaco has been the only GP where F1 didn’t produce the world feed (since 2011).
Many pundits/Fans had gripes with the direction of Tele Monte Carlo who until this year retained control of the broadcast production.
LVGP’s tech partner
@TMobileBusiness
leaned into drones this weekend to help fans experience the magnitude of the race - using 5G-enabled drones to give a first-person view of key areas such as Pit Building, T-Mobile for Business Suite, T-Mobile Zone at the Sphere, Turn 5G…
#ad
@EthanSmidt32
there is that as well - many of them seem to have struggled a lot this weekend with heat and dehydration, and/or now speaking up about how it was a brutal race. I wonder if this will be properly discussed.
2. The 70-year evolution of onboard cameras, and specifically helmet cams.
3. How much do drivers actually pay to race in F1
4. How quick-build kitchen units inspired innovation in F1
@jp1_design
The fact that none have actually done this yet is proof of just how few ‘young’ people are decision-makers on these teams. This is such an obvious play
I attended the inaugural Bloomberg Screentime conference last week.
Here are some of my takeaways on the future of entertainment, culture and sports. Interestingly, F1 was highlighted but never really discussed.
5. The purpose of wheel weights and how they saved my day at the Austin GP h/o
@pirellisport
6. An F1 pitwall explained
7. What the FIA superlicense looks like
Still too many unknowns and uncontrollable variables to use during the race.
Here’s the thing about drone technology - it’s still so new, it’s continuously getting better and when it’s great - it offers such an incredible POV.
See video -
With their logo glowing on the Sphere and a whole dedicated section around the track welcoming hundreds of thousands of fans - the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere - it's not hard to miss the magnitude of this partner.
The same happens fan-side with all the data flowing from hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the weekend to and from all the sales points - food, beverages, activations, entry points... It all needs fast and reliable connectivity, and without it, the show can't happen.
5. Regardless of your audience, having a few items in different price ranges is smart. Most of my pieces are in the $30-50 price range but I had a few bigger ticket items and a handful of $20 items that your audience will happily add to their order.
@ThecasualfanF1
That's just one part. The drop was also less significant in prior cases because they didn't happen right after a big period of hype. Which is my whole point - they missed out on an opportunity to capitalise on this unique moment.
9. Pre-orders are the safest, most affordable and least wasteful way of doing releases. They require careful preparation and planning.
10. There is no such thing as over-communicating in the e-commerce space. The key is consistently landing in people’s inboxes.
8. Can F1 drivers drive under the European flag? 🇪🇺
9. Meet the F1 taylor.
10. The F1 curfew and the countdown clock
This would stress the living crap out of me.
8. Good pictures really do help craft a compelling story and help your buyers understand how the collection could look on them.
You need great product shots and products in situ (more editorial).
The articles covered issues such as presidential elections, the civil rights movement, pop culture...
The Library of Congress funded the production of a Braille edition during a time of growing awareness around the disability community.
It's no exaggeration to say that he is one of F1’s most experienced cameramen in the sport.
His shots are directly sent back to the TV compound to be used for the broadcast feed that we all see.
He knows how to capture the emotion of this sport.
Formula One has a handful of official global partners, they also have promoter-specific partners to help bring the magnitude of an F1 Grand Prix to life.
@TMobileBusiness
is one such partner for the LVGP, chosen to build the network that will power it all.
Fast forward to today where there are rumours that Apple could be eyeing the global broadcasting rights for F1 for $2Billion.
Full video -
I'm working on an F1 trend landscape presentation because almost all my predictions are happening.
@Bensedits
They have had almost 8 months (hardly call that ‘just rustle’) and if not ready then why not wait until 2024? Other than the need/desire to jump on something that is currently getting traction. All genuine questions
1 | Alfa Romeo F1 team has a new title sponsor (and it's in the name), Stake.
In Australia, it was Kick though that had its logo on the cars and suits, not Stake.
That wasn't the case for the first two 2023 races - Saudi Arabia GP and Bahrain GP - where it was all Stake. Why?