Leading digital platform uses unrivaled reach to conduct surveys that capture evolving attitudes of fans to motorsport.

Motorsport Network, a global digital platform in automotive and motorsport with over 62 million monthly unique users, has today launched a report, “Elite Motorsport in 2023”, pulling out some key trends and findings from the recent Global Fan surveys it has conducted with F1, INDYCAR and MotoGP.

The report was launched at Autosport International, Europe’s leading B2B and B2C racing car show currently taking place January 12-15 at the NEC, Birmingham.

Over a million fans have responded since Motorsport Network began its Global Fan survey programme, from 197 countries worldwide, with 330,000 respondents in the last three surveys alone on F1, MotoGP and INDYCAR. With 167,302 respondents, the Formula One survey was not only the largest survey in motorsport, but the largest ever conducted in any sport.

The Global Fan survey programme examines fan attitudes across a number of key areas. These include what fans think about the series, what rule changes they welcome and which they do not. It examines in detail the media and social platforms fans prefer for motorsport coverage, as well as race attendance, esports and gaming. All of these are broken down into data tables by age, by gender and by country. 

This is important and valuable information for rights holders, who get a comprehensive picture of fan attitudes globally and can also develop their strategy based on fan responses to challenging topics like cost control, sustainability and diversity. Rights holders can then use the data and findings to shape the development of their series, media strategy and future rule changes.

Elite Motorsport in 2023 provides a consolidated perspective on the leading series, pulling out some key trends and findings from the F1, INDYCAR and MotoGP surveys.

• The report shows that all three series are witnessing greater numbers of younger fans and female fans are also being drawn to the sport. There were double the number of responses to the most recent F1 survey compared to the 2017 version.
• Dedicated motorsport websites are now the fans’ most used media source, ahead of TV. Twitter is the most popular social media platform, ahead of Facebook and Instagram
• Race attendance is high among INDYCAR and MotoGP fans; 48% of INDYCAR fans have attended a race in the last five years and 41% of MotoGP fans.
• The majority of fans of INDYCAR, MotoGP and F1 believe that their sport develops safety initiatives that benefit society as a whole, while 66% of F1 fans believe that F1 should play a leading role in the drive towards developing fully sustainable fuels. These will be introduced to the sport in 2026.

Motorsport Network President James Allen, who leads the Global Fan survey programme said: “Using the unique power of Motorsport Network with its 62 million monthly unique users and platforms in 15 languages, we have been able to conduct studies that give the clearest picture yet of the evolving attitudes of fans to motorsport. And on the whole it is a positive picture, showing that elite motorsport is well supported, growing and relevant in today’s world.

Download the report HERE!