Why Formula 1 Went to Hollywood
LIAM PARKER
Chief Communications and Corporate Relations Officer, Formula 1
For decades, Formula 1 was seen as an exclusive, somewhat outdated sport. That perception has completely changed. In recent years Formula 1 turned into the world’s fastest-growing global sports league and is now considered a prime case study in how to use content to grow a sport. One of the key figures behind that strategy is Liam Parker, F1’s Chief Communications and Corporate Relations Officer. On stage he explained what decision had the biggest impact on Formula 1’s transformation and how working in government and at the Bank of England helped him prepare for his role in F1. These are his best GMPLN-Quotes.
We need to open it up and make people feel like they can get involved in it. So people don’t think this is an intimidating thing.
Since its acquisition by Liberty Media in 2017, Formula 1 has undergone a radical reinvention, growing its fanbase by roughly 60%, with around 42% of fans being female now. What makes this transformation even more remarkable is where it started: almost from zero. There was no real marketing department, no digital infrastructure, and no cohesive communication strategy. The shift began once the central vision was defined: make the sport more accessible.
Changes to the sport can be scary, but every time we've gone through those changes, it has always improved the sport.
For a sport built on exclusivity and heritage, that meant rethinking its entire DNA and embracing the changes that would come with it. Content became the central growth engine. A defining moment was the collaboration with Netflix and the breakout success of Drive to Survive. The series reframed Formula 1. Now it was no longer just a sport, but also entertainment.
We are competing for people's time in an entertainment world.
To win that competition, Formula 1 leaned into diversified content: social media, short-form video, behind-the-scenes storytelling. They went far beyond traditional formats like press conferences. On that note, one of the most impactful decisions was in particular opening up social media and empowering drivers to build their own platforms there.
Opening social media platforms was seismic for the growth of us as a sport. And then allowing drivers to have their own platform created an ecosystem that has grown and created different things as a result.
Drivers became personalities, comparable to influencers, and fans often connected with them before they fully engaged with the sport itself. This cultural shift is also reflected in the brands entering the ecosystem. Partnerships with companies like LVMH, LEGO, and Disney would have seemed unlikely a decade ago. But now “they are realizing the fanbase is younger, it’s more diverse. It’s a huge opportunity for brands”, Parker explained. These collaborations are no longer just sponsorships but feel more like cultural alignments. “There needs to be a genuine activation, not made-up reasons to be together”, Parker continued.
You gotta have a vision and a story. And you need to create the weather.
The same logic applies to media partnerships, such as the deal with Apple in the United States. It signals a shift from traditional broadcasting to integrated ecosystems that combine technology, distribution, and storytelling. Ultimately, the transformation of Formula 1 comes down to two key principles Parker carried over from his time in politics: “You gotta have a vision and a story. And you need to create the weather.” In other words: define a clear narrative and actively shape how it is perceived.
Formula 1 redefined itself as a content-first sport. And in doing so, it turned speed into a story and a legacy brand into a global entertainment powerhouse. Parker said, “If the sport is good and the people in that sport are entertaining and the racing is good, then you have got the perfect product.”
And right now, it seems like Formula 1 just has that.
