Formula 1 has long been considered a predominantly European sport due to its roots and interest from the fans, but could the tide soon be turning as F1 sports betting ramps up?
The fascination amongst fans in the United States is growing, with the sports betting ambitions gearing up for an all-new market.
Previously, the sport hasn’t yet leaned into gambling in the same way that the NBA or soccer does but this appears to be changing at a time when the US betting industry is seeing a major boom.
With the increasing popularity, F1 could soon be rising in the sports betting world in the US – perhaps more so than any other sport.
According to data from YouGov, “nearly half of American sports bettors (47%) are interested in Formula 1, more than double the share of the general US population.”
In the last 12 months, some 28% of F1 fans placed an online sports bet which is the highest share among fans of major US sports leagues. NBA fans accounted for 25%, NASCAR fans 21%, and NFL fans at 16%.
It’s not just online where people are turning to either, with the offline activity also found to be higher than any other fan group.
While the sport has been around since 1950, it’s only in recent years that traction has begun to pick up in the United States. There is still some way to go though, as motorsport is the joint-eight most popular betting category as it sits behind soccer, NBA basketball, NFL football, esports, tennis, MLB baseball, and boxing.
Interest has been rising rapidly following the ‘Netflix effect’
In 2019, Netflix released its hit series ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ which follows the lives of drivers, on and off track, each season.
Since then, the entertainment company has been largely praised for helping F1 to ‘finally crack’ the US market. A poll from 2022 found that 28% of American adults considered themselves to be F1 fans, with more than half crediting the Netflix show as been the reason for this.
“Things like Netflix have been amazing,” Zak Brown, McLaren CEO, told CNBC. “It’s brought in [a female audience], a younger audience and a North American audience, and I feel like we’re just getting started.”
The reach of Netflix is reported to have brought in 37% of new fans from the US, 12% from the UK and 9% from Australia, according to Buzz Radar.
Although many would argue there’s still much to be done to convince an American audience to tune into races, the accessibility of doing so is being improved upon. Many of the races are suitable to a European timezone, essentially eliminating casual fans who don’t wish to wake up in the middle of the night to catch a race.
But F1 has shown its commitment to those fans, as it recently signed an extension to the Miami Grand Prix which first began in 2022. Now, this will remain a permanent fixture until 2041 which is currently the longest contract out of all races.
There are three races in total – out of 24 – which take place in North America, including the Miami Grand Prix, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
In 2024, there were rumors Chicago could see a grand prix, but this hasn’t ever been confirmed nor commented on. The rumors continue to swirl as to whether another US-based grand prix will be added to the calendar, with New York City, Indianapolis, and Nashville as other regular suggestions from the fans.
Long-term engagement opportunities for F1
Another indicator that US F1 fans could be an interesting target for the betting industry comes apparent when looking at the demographics. Those that bet on motor racing are younger than almost any other major sports betting audience.
58% of motorsports bettors are between 18-34, with this young digitally-aware demographic potentially being an ideal target audience for betting operators as long-term engagement could be fruitful.
In 2026, spectators could see operators utilize the entry of Cadillac to their advantage. This will become Formula 1’s 11th team next season, with current marketing having that all-American touch.
🚨🚨
Cadillac are Officially on the F1 grid from 2026!🏎️The team have been fully approved and will be the 11th team on the grid in 12 months time!
This account is going to be your main source for all news regarding the team🫡
Drop us a follow while your here👀… pic.twitter.com/GJw1eyXgBT— Cadillac F1 Team News (@CadillacF1_) March 7, 2025
There is no longer an American driver on the grid, but there is a lot of talent currently out there. Logan Sargeant, who drove for Williams in 2023 and 2024, was the last American driver to race in the sport and was the first full-time driver since Scott Speed in 2006 – 2007.
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon is reported to have said that “hiring on merit and having a US driver are entirely compatible objectives for the team.” Could an all-new American team and potential driver line-up be the fuel sports betting operators need to engage the US audience?
Plans to launch an engaging, data-driven betting product
This newfound attention comes as Formula One’s director of commercial partnership has recently said the sport is focusing on building a more exciting and interactive betting experience.
Johnny Haworth has said the idea is to give fans more ways to place bets and get involved while watching the races. According to SportsPro.com, Haworth stated: “We’re sort of on a journey in the betting space at the moment.
“I think we make up 0.4 per cent of the overall global betting handle, which is pretty crazy for a sport the size of Formula One and with a sport that has low latency data at a high volume which is what drives betting.
“When you put all those things together there’s something there and we’re working incredibly hard to figure out how we open up an engaging betting product that enables people not to just look at outcome betting, but enables people to use the data of the sport to be able to engage in various different in-play betting [options].”
In March, the California-based company ALT Sports Data partnered up with F1 to provide official betting data and create well-priced odds for the wagering industry while opening up new markets for bettors.
While it’s clear the sport is still in its infancy as far as dominating the sports betting market in the US goes, the steps it’s taking suggest it could soon be more prominent than it ever has been.
Featured Image: Credit to Bert van Dijk on Wikimedia Commons
