Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Formula 1 says its controversial 2026 rules reset is already lifting fan approval, sell-out crowds and overall audience growth, even as the sport cannot yet publicly substantiate one of its biggest media claims around its new Apple broadcast deal.
In its mid-season review, F1 said all 11 grands prix held so far this year have sold out, with nearly 3.7 million spectators attending race weekends compared with 3.4 million for the same events in 2025, a 6% increase. It reported attendance records at Australia with 484,000, Canada with 360,000, Austria with 320,000, Silverstone with 564,000 and Belgium with 400,000.
F1 also used fan survey data to argue that the racing itself is landing better than it did last year despite criticism of the new-era product. In its Fan Voice survey of 60,000 supporters, 66% of respondents rated the on-track action as “good or even outstanding,” up from 60% in 2025. Among the race-by-race scores F1 published, Canada reached 84%, up 15 percentage points year-on-year, China scored 68% for an 18-point gain, Monaco rose 21 points to 47%, and Belgium climbed 24 points to 61%.
The less transparent part of F1’s case came in broadcasting. The series said its new partnership with Apple is already delivering “excellent viewership and engagement” across its platforms and attracting “a younger and more diverse audience.” It also pointed to Apple’s first simulcast with Netflix for the Canadian Grand Prix. But unlike the detailed audience figures F1 released for other markets, the review included no Apple-specific numbers.
Asked about that gap, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told reporters that Apple was reporting strong results to the championship but was not yet prepared to publish them. “Apple, as you know, is confirming that the numbers are very, very good,” Domenicali said. “In their policy, they are not really the ones that are able to share their numbers with everyone.” He added that F1 is “pushing them respectfully” and said, “I think that soon you will have a good surprise because we are pushing them to do it.”
Outside Apple, F1 said television audiences continue to grow globally, highlighting major gains in Brazil, Italy and China. It said the British Grand Prix drew a record 18 million viewers across Brazil’s TV Globo and SportTV3, while the Monaco Grand Prix reached nearly 80 million viewers worldwide.
That broader picture is central to F1’s argument that the 2026 reset is expanding the sport rather than alienating its audience. The championship said its global fanbase has now surpassed 830 million, up 64% from 2018. It said 42% of fans are female, with women making up three-quarters of new fans, and that 43% of the fanbase is aged 35 or younger.