F1 News: First Major Social Media Setback For Formula One According To Recent Study

According to Buzz Radar, F1 has had a significant decline in fan engagement and social media mentions. However, figures from Formula One state otherwise.

In a reversal from recent trends, the 2023 F1 season has experienced a substantial decline in social media attention, according to Buzz Radar's new case study. The recent study signals a potential peak in the sport's popularity, following its impressive surge in the past.

Key Takeaways:

• Buzz Radar's examination of 70 million fan posts over the past decade has shown that social media mentions of F1 dropped by a staggering 70.2% in the first five months of 2023 compared to the same timeframe in 2022.
• The company's report highlights a shift in fan sentiment; words like 'boring' and 'annoying' now dominate the F1 conversation, replacing positive descriptors like 'exciting' and 'interesting'.
• Single-team dominance, mainly by Red Bull, is pointed out as the primary reason for this drop in interest, echoing previous declines in conversation during years of one-sided competition.

According to Buzz Radar's latest research, while 2022 witnessed a booming interest in F1, propelled by the electrifying 2021 title fight and the introduction of new car regulations, 2023 has marked a downturn. The analytics company observed a dramatic 46.29% drop in new followers and a 64.10% reduction in social reach this year.

Furthermore, the Buzz Radar report underscores a discernible shift in the discourse surrounding F1. Negative adjectives have now become prevalent in discussions, indicative of fans' dwindling enthusiasm for the sport.

However, the primary catalyst behind this wane in interest is linked to single-team domination. Red Bull's overwhelming dominance, winning all but two races over the past year, has noticeably impacted fan engagement. Echoes of this trend were last seen in 2018 when Lewis Hamilton's dominance led to a similar drop in social media attention.

Citing the tight contest between Nico Rosberg and Hamilton in 2016 and the thrilling conclusion to the 2021 season, Buzz Radar emphasised the correlation between closely-fought championships and increased fan involvement. Seasons defined by a single dominant force typically garner less conversation and attention.

Yet, all is not bleak for F1. Despite the disappointing metrics of 2023, Buzz Radar acknowledged the sport's commendable growth in the last decade. F1's conversation levels soared by 80% between 2016 and 2022. Impressively, F1 achieved this with only 22-23 events annually, a fraction compared to other major sports. The sport's peak was in 2021, with a gain of approximately 14 million new cross-channel followers, marking it as the fastest-growing among all major sports during that period.

UPDATE

Information received directly from Formula One on this states:

"Growth for our official channels are around eight times higher than the 500,000 figure mentioned by Buzz Radar for January to May.

"In the second half of this season, F1's channels ranked second globally (behind La Liga) for followers' growth rate among all major sports.

"Active engagements (such as likes, comments and shares) are up 4% so far this year compared to 2022, and are on course to surpass 1.5 billion by the end of the season."