F1 Fever Lures Luxury Business To Bet Big On The Next Generation Of Fans

This year has been a frenetic season in Formula 1 (F1). The Constructors’ Championship is sealed for McLaren. However, the more exciting Driver’s Championship remains open, with a three-way battle between the two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and reigning world champion, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. The final race will be held at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, tomorrow evening. According to data from Nielsen Sports, more than 826.5 million people are expected to tune in live to the final race of the 75^th season of F1globally.

The Nielsen Sports projects 13 million F1 fans in India. The fandom has seen a significant increase due to the Netflix docu-series, Formula 1: Drive To Survive, which has been renewed for its eighth season in 2026. The show has 8.7 times higher demand than an average TV series. The Brad Pitt-starrer F1: The Movie amplified this further with approximately USD 125 million box-office collections in India.

“The sport is embedded in our culture now, via streaming, storytelling, and social media, and that’s helping more people connect,” said Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, based on the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey, which shared that three in four new F1 fans are women, and Gen Z is helping shape the rhythm of modern fandom. In this new era of F1, audiences are more connected and engaged with the motorsport that has always been the epitome of luxury. Taniya Mehta of Projekt Podium, a motorsport content creator, provides an alternate perspective, “People who have been watching F1 going back to Michael Schumacher’s time, love the fact that it was very underrated and uber luxury-oriented. Since the Netflix show and film, it doesn't seem luxurious anymore, which takes away from the fact that F1 is one of the world’s richest sports. Some of the brand associations are making a mockery out of the marketing.”

The biggest turn of events was when French luxury conglomerate, LVMH, signed a 10-year deal with F1 to be the global partner for the motorsport involving LVMH Maisons of Louis Vuitton, Moët Hennessy, and TAG Heuer. “In motorsport as in fashion, watchmaking or wines and spirits, every detail counts on the path to success. Both in our workshops and on circuits around the world, it is this incessant search to break boundaries that inspires our vision, and this is the meaning that we want to bring to this great and unique partnership between Formula 1 and our Group,” mentioned Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO, LVMH Group.

Indian F1 fans are now exposed to global luxury brands, and they also have the aspiration and appetite to make these high-value purchases. Mehta says, “My curiosity for these partnering brands has increased since I’ve seen F1 drivers promoting it. Most of the sponsor stickers on the car intrigue me to understand the collaboration between the racing teams and the brands.” This is bolstered by the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey, which states 76% of respondents believe sponsors enhance the F1 experience. One in three is more likely to purchase from F1 partners, with favourability rising to 40% among Gen Z respondents.

There are also cross-brand collabs and special edition collections with various F1 teams that have been introduced in recent years. In 2023, lifestyle and travel brand TUMI collaborated with McLaren to celebrate 60 years of the racing team and supercar manufacturer, with a special edition collection. Continuing the association this year, the TUMI | McLaren collection uses CX6 carbon fibre with signature McLaren Papaya accents and the McLaren Senna GTR-inspired compression strap. Fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger has had a longstanding association with F1, from sponsoring Team Lotus in 1991 to becoming Mercedes-AMG Petronas’s sponsor in 2018. Last year, the brand launched a limited-edition capsule collection for the motoring team designed by artist  Ruth. Next year, Hilfiger is associating with the new 11^th team on the grid, Cadillac Formula 1, in a multi-year partnership as the team’s official apparel partner and lifestyle sponsor.

Luxury watch brands have been naturally aligned with the strict timekeeping requirements of F1. While Rolex was the official timekeeper for F1 till 2024, the mantle now rests with TAG Heuer. It was first associated with motorsport in 1969. TAG Heuer has also been the official partner and timekeeper of the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team since 2016. Similarly, IWC Schaffhausen, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, has been the official engineering partner for Mercedes-AMG since 2013. This year, the watchmaker, along with Laureus Sport for Good and Bonhams, auctioned one of a limited edition of 100 pieces of the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Wolff was seen wearing it at the gruelling Singapore Grand Prix race in October.

The long-term impact of vehement brand associations is yet to be understood, shares Mehta. “Many Indian fans end up watching the highlights because it is a hot topic right now. This season has been great. I don’t know how impactful it’s going to be when the season is being dominated by one driver, like in 2022 and 2023. It’s a little difficult to gauge if it’s just a trend or it’s here to stay,” she adds. Ultimately, it all comes down to how the season pans out and how close the competition is.