This past week it was announced that the 75th anniversary of Formula 1 would be commemorated with a groundbreaking season launch event at London’s The O2. For the first time in Formula 1 history, the entire grid of 10 teams and 20 drivers will come together to welcome the new season in an unprecedented world premiere event. But is this a step forward in the right direction for the evolution of Formula 1? Or is this another instance of the sport further alienating its fans?

In a surprise move, Formula 1 has announced that the typical separate livery reveals conducted by the grid teams will be discarded in favour of a singular event. This event will take place at the O2 in February next year and will have an attendance of 18,000. Tickets were released last Friday and sold out in an impressive 30 minutes. Certainly, this could be seen as a roaring success for the launch event. But many fans have been left dissatisfied as claims that bots and resellers dominated purchases and that the majority of tickets were reserved for PR purposes.

Whether these rumours are true, the outcry demonstrates the growing discontent among fans and the dangerous position Formula 1 is in as it increasingly isolates its most important fan base.

Beginning with the inauguration of the Miami Grand Prix back in 2022, fans have begun to note the growing attendance of influencers and celebrities at certain Grand Prix over the season. Certainly, this is nothing new in the sport. Celebrities have always been invited to certain tracks like Monaco and Silverstone as guests of teams. But with brands like Tarte using the Miami Grand Prix last year as a platform for their influencer trips and with the price of the average Formula 1 ticket rising exponentially each year, fans are beginning to wonder who these Grand Prix are really for.

The average grandstand ticket for Silverstone next season will lose you between £309-£909. For British fans, an international all-inclusive holiday could cost less than a weekend watching their home Grand Prix. Even general admission single-day tickets are far from cheap in this modern age of Formula 1, ranging between £70-£329. With the announcement that tickets for the F1 75 event would be in the realm of £58-£113, it appeared like it could be a chance for British fans on a budget to witness a Formula 1 event. Instead, the majority of fans were left ticketless 30 minutes past release and resellers are now asking for more than £1,000 to attend.

Undoubtedly, Formula 1 is at a real risk of estranging their fans.

As a business, it’s understandable that Formula 1’s primary objective would be drawing in greater investments. But there’s a real worry that the decisions they have been making in recent years are going to isolate their fans. Since Drive to Survive made its debut on Netflix in 2018, the sport has seen exponential growth in viewership. Today, Formula 1 is among the world’s fastest-growing sports, with a study from Nielsen suggesting the fanbase has almost doubled since 2017.

As a global event, Formula 1 has the unique opportunity to appeal to an extensive audience. However, since Drive to Survive, the sport has become increasingly exclusive. Inflated ticket prices and the deviation from classic race tracks to modern street circuits are signs that the sport is evolving and becoming less attainable to the average fan. In this new era of Formula 1, fans feel more excluded than ever before.

While there have been attempts to make the sport more appealing and entertaining to the average fan, most of them have come across as hollow and insincere. For example, despite the consistent criticism from fans and a general consensus that the current format doesn’t need to change, Formula 1 still pushes more and more sprint races every season. There have also been repeated attempts to make a spectacle of the sport and its drivers. Often imitating a “ring walk” in boxing and the Super Bowl halftime show. The opening ceremony at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last season is one example of this, having the unintended effect of being a source of humour and mockery among fans.

Since Drive to Survive, Formula 1 has struggled to find a way to connect with this new audience and secure longevity amongst its fanbase. Yet, it shouldn’t be so difficult for the sport to figure out the best way to draw in greater viewership and loyalty from fans. It’s not flaunting the drivers around like show ponies, or introducing watered-down versions of race day. It’s not the attendance of influencers who know nothing about the sport, or the inauguration of new and expensive Grand Prix circuits in the USA. It’s accessibility.

Nothing builds love for a sport quite like witnessing it live. Being surrounded by fellow fans and the invigorating atmosphere of a Grand Prix weekend is what will guarantee the support and loyalty of the average Formula 1 fan. But until these experiences are accessible to this group, Formula 1 will be at risk of alienating them and losing the loyalty they rely on.

Whether the majority of tickets for the F1 75 event were indeed reserved for influencers and investors doesn’t matter. The problem is how many fans believe that they were. Growing animosity among fans and the estrangement they feel is a threat to the sport. The more Formula 1 presents itself as a sport for the elite and prioritises marketing to an audience that will not stick around once the glamour and novelty have waned, the less likely it is to survive. At its current rate, there’s a good chance that the growth and momentum Formula 1 has seen over the past five years will begin to decline in the same amount of time.

Unless they can find a way to make experiences more accessible for the average fan, the sport will not persevere. Reduced ticket prices and more opportunities for fan engagement across the board would be a step in the right direction.