TikTok is the favorite social media of Formula 1

The Formula 1 is radically changing its image. After Michael Schumacher's farewell to Ferrari at the end of 2006, a crucial turning point in this sport, the management of British tycoon Bernie Ecclestone clashed with innovation and the new era linked to technology and social media. In the beginning, F1 was not able to intercept and understand the importance of this change, and it thought to focus only on its strength, tradition, and charm of the races, which struggled to attract new fans and consequently new sponsors. The decline of the F1 world was halted precisely in 2016 when the Americans of Liberty Media took over ownership from Ecclestone himself. Thanks to investments, the expansion of the number of races that appealed to numerous fan bases and sponsors, and perhaps above all, the incredible success of the series Netflix Drive to Survive, Formula 1 has returned to be perhaps like never before one of the most followed sports in the world.

In this context, the work done by Liberty Media on social media has been extraordinary. The American company has followed the model of American leagues, such as NBA or NFL, for example. First of all, through social media, a total rebranding was carried out, focusing the content not only on the races but working seven days a week. The official social media channels of Formula 1 work exactly following the same model as the NBA, MLS, NFL, and all American leagues, centralizing the content and then leaving the freedom for in-depth analysis to the various teams. Some teams understood before others how important it is to have an original social media presence, and the latest example is TikTok, where there is probably more room for work and creativity, considering age and target.

The McLaren has strategically decided to centralize its content on the drivers, also having under contract two young drivers like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri who can easily lend themselves to more entertaining and appealing content for the target audience. The Norris-Piastri duo works perfectly on social media, but it will be interesting to see if their rivalry on the track will lead to a change in strategy in the coming weeks and months. A problem that the RedBull Racing team will not have, where Max Verstappen also dominates the team's TikTok account, following the hierarchy on the track where the four-time world champion is.

Reserve drivers or content creators

One who has understood how to do it is undoubtedly Mercedes, which has decided to focus on reserve driver Valteri Bottas as an exceptional content creator. The Finn manages to be ironic but also informative at the same time and is ideal for the new role he has been given. In the videos published so far, Bottas has interacted with team members, explained the rules of the Sprint Race while running in the Pit Lane, and brought an essential touch of irony to TikTok. In short, a perfect content creator. The French team Alpine has instead decided to use its reserve drivers in another way. Before each Grand Prix, drivers Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron get behind the wheel of the simulator to shoot a special preview of the upcoming race. Not only a way to create original content, but also to give some visibility to the Test Drivers, who are often overshadowed by the 'regular' drivers.

The Williams and Aston Martin model

Since last year, Williams has been producing a podcast with the two drivers interviewing each other. This year, with the arrival of Carlos Sainz, the already original and interesting idea has gained even more strength. Aston Martin has instead decided to put their mechanics at the center of their content, with POV style videos, going into detail about how their days are structured from morning to evening. The other teams are more or less all on the same line of creating more entertaining content than on other social media, which can help when things don't go well on the track. The most striking example of this in 2025 was the 'demotion' of Liam Lawson from RedBull Racing to Racing Bulls. Through TikTok, the team managed to create a series of original content that greatly softened and empathized with the New Zealand driver, thanks also to the other driver of the team, Isack Hadjar, probably one of the most comfortable on social media. A concrete example of how social media can sometimes help with reputation and bold team choices.

And finally, we haven't forgotten about Ferrari. The Maranello team has decided not to focus, at least for now, on TikTok. To date, Ferrari has only one account that links all the company's departments, from road cars to the Scuderia itself, although recently Lewis Hamilton has launched his personal TikTok profile. A sign of how it is necessary to keep up with the times, even if your name is Hamilton and you have won the Formula 1 World Championship seven times.