Enzo Ferrari famously once remarked that if a child were asked to draw a car, it would likely be red. Sofia Valente Pierini, reflecting on her childhood, recalled how she would watch Formula One Grand Prix races with her grandfather, a devoted Ferrari fan. In 2025, Lewis Hamilton, Pierini’s favorite driver, joined Ferrari and clinched his first Grand Prix victory in June 2026.
Pierini, an avid Hamilton and Ferrari supporter, has been creating F1 content under the handle @formulasofia since 2022, documenting the rollercoaster of emotions that come with being a fan. The moment of seeing Hamilton on the podium as a Ferrari driver was particularly special for her.
Part of a new wave of content creators, Pierini is contributing to reshaping the F1 media landscape, catering to a younger and more diverse audience. This shift, aided by popular shows like “Drive to Survive” on Netflix, is engaging fans in a manner reminiscent of how radio coverage drew in baseball and hockey enthusiasts.
According to Stacy Lorenz, a sports sociology and history expert, different sports have found ideal mediums for broadcasting. For F1, the move towards online content and streaming represents a natural progression in engaging fans, especially those not bound to a sport geographically.
The acquisition of F1 by Liberty Media in 2017 marked a significant turning point in the sport’s media approach, as noted by former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe. This change in ownership opened up new opportunities for digital and online engagement, akin to how hockey embraced social media years ago.
Laurel Walzak, a sports media professor, highlighted F1’s successful utilization of social media to humanize the sport and its participants. Platforms like “Drive to Survive” have transformed F1 drivers into characters that audiences can follow, contributing to the sport’s broader appeal.
Online content has become a major draw for F1 enthusiasts, with creators like Cadence Willie leveraging platforms like Instagram to engage with a global audience. The abundance of footage available from F1 cars and team radios allows for diverse content creation, catering to various fan interests within the sport.
The digital accessibility of F1 content has the potential to make the sport more inclusive and affordable, a development that Valente Pierini hopes will broaden its appeal and reach to a wider audience, transcending its traditional glamorous image.