Liberty Media are in the process of ridding Formula 1 of archaic philosophy of neglecting new media and thus have a host of race weekend improvements to further engage fans live and online, starting with initiatives at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey said in an interview, “We unleashed our drivers, teams, promoters and more on social media, which resulted in a three to four fold growth in areas like video engagement on social media.”
“We’ve also begun to work with the FIA and the teams to take steps to ensure that our competition on the track delivers the best fan experience possible. We are addressing the engine, the costs, the rules and other key issues all with the goal of making the sport the best it can be.”
“As part of the process we are also reviewing the broader race weekend in areas like support races to enhance and improve the experience for fans.”
“We have a lot to do, and we’re off to a good start with four races under our belt, attendance up and strong results in TV viewership and digital engagement.”
“We move into the European portion of our season in Barcelona this weekend, where we’ll launch a few more things to engage fans. It should be fun.”
“We’re also building tools that did not previously exist, like research, databases, digital platforms, and marketing capabilities to provide the necessary insights and information to grow and deepen our fanbase around the world.”
With much off-track improvements happening or in the pipeline, the on-track action is also being looked into.
Carey explained, “I think action on the track is incredibly important, so having the ability to pass is something that we are looking to increase,” he added. “The speed, having the drivers fight the car has gotten very positive responses, but I think we want to try and have all things.
“We want to create that speed, want to create that power, we want the drivers fighting the cars, but we want as much action as we can get on the track, and we are certainly pursuing initiatives to try and enhance that activity.”