What Is the Most Popular Auto Racing?

Formula 1 is the most popular auto racing series worldwide, based on global television audience, international reach, live attendance, and digital engagement as of 2024. While NASCAR leads in the United States for domestic viewership, Formula 1’s multi-continent calendar and broad media footprint make it the dominant global motorsport.

Contents

How Popularity Is Measured
Why Formula 1 Leads Globally
Regional Standouts and Other Major Series
Frequently Asked Context
Bottom Line

How Popularity Is Measured

Assessing which auto racing is “most popular” depends on a mix of audience and market indicators that capture both reach and engagement across regions and platforms.

Global TV viewership: cumulative season audience and average viewers per race across multiple countries.

Live attendance: single-race event day records and multi-day weekend totals at circuits.

Digital and social media: followers, video views, and engagement rates across major platforms.

Geographic footprint: number of host countries/continents and broadcast distribution.

Commercial scale: sponsorship breadth, manufacturer involvement, and overall revenue.

Cultural impact: mainstream visibility, star drivers, and crossover into entertainment media.

Taken together, these indicators consistently place Formula 1 at the top globally, with NASCAR dominant inside the U.S. and several other series holding strong regional clout.

Why Formula 1 Leads Globally

Formula 1’s edge comes from its international schedule, premium positioning, and strong media strategy, which together sustain the largest worldwide audience for auto racing.

International calendar: More than 20 Grands Prix annually across multiple continents, from the Middle East to Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Global broadcast and streaming: Extensive rights deals deliver regular live coverage into major markets and emerging ones.

Live attendance strength: Several race weekends report crowds exceeding 400,000 over three days at venues such as Silverstone, Austin, and Mexico City.

Digital leadership: Among motorsports, F1 commands the largest combined social following and high engagement, bolstered by short-form video and behind-the-scenes content.

Entertainment crossover: Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” has broadened the demographic, especially among younger audiences and in the U.S.

Manufacturer and sponsor appeal: Iconic teams and brands, a cost cap era, and sustainability targets keep investment and interest high.

These factors reinforce one another: a global product attracts global coverage and sponsors, which funds compelling competition and content that further grows the audience.

Regional Standouts and Other Major Series

Popularity also depends on where you are and what kind of racing you prefer. Several series rival or surpass F1 locally or in specific niches, even if they don’t match its worldwide scale.

NASCAR Cup Series (U.S.): The most-watched motorsport on American television, with the Daytona 500 as a marquee broadcast event and a loyal domestic fan base.

IndyCar (U.S./International): Open-wheel series centered in North America; the Indianapolis 500 remains one of the world’s largest single-day sporting events by in-venue attendance.

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and 24 Hours of Le Mans (Global/Europe): Endurance racing’s flagship has surged with new manufacturer entries in the Hypercar era and strong crowds for Le Mans.

World Rally Championship (WRC) (Europe/Global): Rallying delivers massive on-site and broadcast appeal in select markets, with unique stages on gravel, tarmac, and snow.

Supercars Championship (Australia/New Zealand): A leading touring car series with strong national popularity and hallmark events like Bathurst.

DTM, Super GT, and Super Formula (Europe/Japan): High-performance touring and open-wheel categories with dedicated regional followings and manufacturer support.

Formula E (Global/Urban): All-electric single-seaters racing on city-center circuits; growing appeal tied to sustainability and technology narratives.

These championships are vital pillars of motorsport and often dominate their home markets, but none consistently match Formula 1’s combined global audience and digital reach.

Frequently Asked Context

Is MotoGP more popular than F1?

MotoGP is motorcycle racing, not auto racing. It is enormously popular—often leading in certain countries and boasting major live and TV audiences—but it’s a different discipline, so it isn’t a direct comparator for “auto” racing popularity.

What about attendance records?

F1, NASCAR, and the Indy 500 all post standout attendance. In F1, several race weekends surpass 400,000 spectators across three days. The Indianapolis 500 is frequently cited as the largest single-day sporting crowd. These figures underscore that popularity can look different when measured by weekend totals versus single-day events.

How is popularity trending?

F1 has expanded significantly since the late 2010s, aided by broader distribution and documentary-style content. NASCAR has diversified formats and venues to attract new audiences, including high-profile street and stadium events. Endurance racing is in a renaissance with a wave of factory-backed Hypercar entries, while WRC and Formula E continue evolving with hybrid/electric technology and sustainability initiatives.

Bottom Line

Globally, Formula 1 is the most popular auto racing series by audience size, reach, and engagement. NASCAR remains the top draw in the United States. Depending on the metric and region, other disciplines command strong followings, but none consistently match F1’s worldwide footprint.

Why is GT not as popular as F1?

Another criticism is that GT cars, as consumer production vehicles, do not possess the technological newness and foreign prestige of F1 vehicles. This critic, though, overlooks the point that GT technology has been directly translated to consumer automobiles, thus being more pertinent to the masses.

Which is the No. 1 car racing game?

The 20 best driving games of the last decade: 10-1

Rocket League (2015)
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (2010)
F1 2019 (2019)
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019)
Assetto Corsa (2014)
GT Sport (2017)
Mario Kart 8 (2014)
Forza Horizon 4 (2018)

Is NASCAR or F1 more popular?

Formula 1 is more popular globally, with NASCAR traditionally more popular in the United States, although F1’s popularity is growing significantly in the U.S.. F1’s global fanbase is massive, exceeding 800 million, while NASCAR’s viewership is much smaller but still leads the United States market, which is its primary focus. Recent trends show Formula 1’s U.S. viewership increasing, partly due to the popularity of the Netflix series Drive to Survive.
Formula 1 Popularity

Global Dominance: F1 has a far larger global audience, estimated to be over 800 million fans.
Growing U.S. Interest: The series has seen a significant increase in U.S. interest, particularly among younger demographics, fueled by events like the Las Vegas, Miami, and Austin races and the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive.
Higher Average Viewership: F1 averaged around 70 million viewers per race in the 2021 season globally.

NASCAR Popularity

Strong U.S. Base: NASCAR maintains a strong and passionate fanbase primarily within the United States, especially in the southern states.
Higher U.S. Viewership: In the U.S., NASCAR consistently attracts a larger viewership than F1, with an average of about 3 million viewers per race in recent years.
Traditional Appeal: NASCAR appeals to a more traditional motorsports audience with its focus on stock car racing and its deep roots in American car culture.

Key Differences

Geographic Focus: F1 is a truly global sport with events worldwide, while NASCAR’s popularity is concentrated in North America.
Media Exposure: F1 has benefited from increased media attention and its connection with younger fans, while NASCAR remains a prominent fixture in American sports, though its viewership has faced recent stagnation.