When you see the media mogul that is Formula One (F1) today, it’s difficult to believe that it used to be a dying pastime for European elites with too much money to burn. I mean, how many people would realistically enjoy watching the world’s quickest tax evaders driving upscale go-karts around in circles every other weekend? A lot, apparently, if you frame it the right way: when the docu-series Drive to Survive (DTS) was first released in 2019, it was clear that the sport had much more to offer. By giving its viewers unprecedented access into paddock life, it gave F1 a unique human touch other sports couldn’t provide at the time, and was instrumental in saving ‘the pinnacle of motorsport’ from a seemingly inevitable downward trajectory.
Yet, if you’ve perused the comments under any F1-related Instagram post today, you’ve probably come across the term “DTS fan”. It denigrates the F1 fan who is either: a) excessively preoccupied with “frivolous” driver drama, b) exhibiting an egregious lack of basic F1 knowledge, or c) (probably) just having an opinion the denigrator vehemently disagrees with. They point to a key criticism of the show, namely its construction of borderline or outright fictitious narratives: its portrayal of Abu Dhabi 2021 that seemed to favour Lewis Hamilton over Max Verstappen, or the alleged rivalry between Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, for instance.
On the surface, those attacks seem like a meaningless attempt to gatekeep new fans, which I personally despise. After all, one of the deep-seated appeals of sport is precisely the potential for compelling narratives, and it’s what ultimately led me to continue following F1. But they also reflect a very real concern in the wider fanbase: namely, a fear that the essence of F1 — its racing, driver’s instinct, pushing the limits of speed and technological innovation — is being hollowed out by F1’s increasingly incessant corporate-esque initiatives and social media efforts, especially following Liberty Media’s acquisition of F1 in 2017. Race calendars in recent years are telling about where F1’s priorities lie: classic race tracks such as Hockenheim or Sepang that are wider, allowing for more overtaking opportunities and therefore better racing, have been slowly replaced by narrower street circuits suspiciously concentrated in the Middle East (thanks, human rights violations and oil money!). Recently, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said that there were ongoing discussions to increase the number of Sprint races (i.e. newly implemented shorter races before the main race that still count for points in the championship) and suggested that the main 90-minute long Grand Prix could be shortened to ‘appeal to the highlights-loving younger demographic’. This has clearly alienated the older, dedicated F1 fanbase who perceive these remarks as out-of-touch: indeed, a poll from The Race’s Youtube community showed that 44% of respondents believed Sprint races should be scrapped entirely. It also doesn’t help older F1 fans that celebrities, many of whom showing no meaningful interest in the sport, are endlessly paraded across the paddock (see Martin Brundle’s Miami grid walk, 2025).
Of course, I am perfectly aware that big money and opulence has always been expected of F1. Street circuits such as Baku can definitely be interesting races. Terry Crews singing A Thousand Miles with Verstappen in a pink Lego Cadillac on the Las Vegas Strip is truly a sight to behold. But there is undeniably a growing sense that the sport’s overall pursuit of attention, profits, and glitz is happening at the expense of F1’s quality of racing.
