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The Motorsport Network's Global Fan Survey, carried out in 15
languages and with feedback from 194 countries, found fans liked
the sport's new direction.
The data was gathered since the season-opening Australian Grand
Prix in March and published to coincide with this weekend's
showcase Monaco Grand Prix.
U.S.-based Liberty Media took over as commercial rights holders
in January, with former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone
moving aside.
The data revealed that, compared to a 2015 survey, there was a
44 percent increase in fans' belief that Formula One was ‘the
pinnacle of motorsport’ and a 43 percent improvement in the
statement that the sport fields ‘the best drivers’.
It also showed that the average age of a Formula One fan was
coming down -- 26 percent of those who took part were under 25
-- with an average age of below 36.
There were also more female respondents than previously, albeit
still only 10 percent of the total. But fewer fans were watching
regularly compared to 2015 due to dwindling free-to-air
opportunities.
Hamilton, now a triple world champion, saw his popularity double
compared to 2015 and the Briton commands a level of global fan
support not seen since the heyday of seven-times champion
Michael Schumacher.
The Mercedes driver's support was strongest in Europe and the
Americas. Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen
were ranked third and fourth, behind McLaren's Spaniard Alonso.
Raikkonen was previously the favorite and while his levels of
support remained broadly the same, the top two had seen a surge
in popularity.
Ferrari was ranked as the top team by nearly a third of
respondents, almost double that of the Italian outfit's closest
rivals Mercedes.
Mercedes was the most popular team in Britain, presumably due to
Hamilton, but not in Germany.
Red Bull's 19-year-old Dutch driver Max Verstappen proved more
popular among the over-45s than in his own age bracket.
Fans in the Asia-Pacific region were 50 percent more likely to
attend a race than those in Europe, and MotoGP was the next most
followed series after Formula One.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
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