A sharp decline in viewership in Spain and France compared to last season’s races is a worrying figure.
The new Formula 1 continues to generate controversy and will be a topic of discussion for a long time to come. During the forced break in April, due to the unrelenting conflict in the Middle East, the Federation will hold an important meeting with the various teams to discuss the next steps and find medium- and long-term solutions, given the drivers’ complaints and the new championship’s lack of appeal, especially regarding qualifying.
And the TV figures in Europe speak clearly: in Italy, thanks to the rise of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and a strong Ferrari, the Japanese GP recorded a slight increase compared to last year’s edition, with 500,000 more spectators than last year. The same cannot be said, however, for other European countries: in France, for example, the Suzuka race attracted only 404,000 spectators, compared to 705,000 in 2025.
The steepest decline, however, is in Spain, with 69,000 spectators currently compared to 124 at the last Japanese race, a 49% drop. The Iberian statistics are due to the uncompetitiveness of the cars driven by Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz and, at the same time, a different F1 that is less popular with older spectators. Liberty Media will have to take these data into account, considering that the season is only just beginning and the situation could worsen.
Foto: F1.com, Scuderia Ferrari HP
