The girls aren’t spending their summer relaxing by the pool or vacationing to exotic locales. They’re sweating it out in the F1 stands, watching the races on television, and perfecting their perfect “paddock princess” attire.
Once the purview of a mostly European and mostly male fan base, Formula 1 racing, or F1, has become one of the chicest sports for women to follow, with a growing impact on fashion and culture. Top influencers are posting photos and videos of themselves at races, the WAGs of top drivers are becoming famous, and everyone’s tuning in.
Pop culture is also taking note. F1 the Movie, which comes out Friday, stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and actual racer Lewis Hamilton and is already getting buzz for its stars’ fashion and aesthetic more than its plot. And the sport is also creeping into other parts of culture; in May, Simon & Schuster published Slipstream by Madge Maril, an enemies-to-lovers romance novel centering on the world of F1. As the publisher says, the novel follows “documentarian Lilah as she teams up with racing driver Arthur Bianco for a whirlwind of revenge—and perhaps something more.”
This rise in online and cultural popularity among women is having real world results for the sport. A spokesperson for F1 tells Glamour they’ve seen a striking demographic shift in its fanbase in the last five years, with both the under-35 and women audiences growing by over 50%, especially in the US and China. Since 2018, the percentage of women fans has jumped from 37% to 41%, and the fastest-growing audience is women aged 16 to 24.
“A lot of women’s interest in F1 seems to be driven by a combination of media, cultural shifts, and the sport’s own evolution,” the spokesperson says, citing a huge interest in the fashion surrounding the events as well as influencer and celebrity attendance at the races as driving the trend.
Even the influencers themselves have noticed how much the fandom has grown among their women followers. Morgan Riddle first made a name for herself on TikTok and Instagram when she began posting about her life on the professional tennis circuit with her boyfriend, player Taylor Fritz, and began to attend F1 races soon after. She’s since hosted live coverage of events like “Glamour on the Grid” from last year’s Australian Grand Prix.
When she first began posting content from F1, most of the coverage she tells Glamour she found was “incredibly male-centric,” mostly stats and highlights. She decided to approach her coverage of the events from her own perspective as a 20-something woman, focusing more on the culture surrounding the races and of course, the outfits.
“That storytelling via fashion and ‘fun content’ ended up opening the door into the sport for a lot of women who felt like these spaces weren’t for them,” she says. “It made it comfortable to be curious and have fun at the events without the pressure of knowing every player’s standing, pole position, or engine specs. It also has paved a path for these events to not just be sporting events but massive cultural moments, opening the door to an entirely new fandom that is definitely for the girls.”
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It was this type of coverage of the sport that got content creator Kennedy Eurich hooked. She’s since attended the Miami Grand Prix, telling me the “fashion moments are so good, it’s hard not to be into it.”
“It feels like everyone is suddenly obsessed, myself included,” she tells me. “I’ve definitely seen way more girls getting into it and actually knowing all the drivers, which makes it fun. F1 is always a good time.”
She describes the F1 aesthetic, sometimes called “paddock princess” on social media, as “sporty chic.”
“I love mixing a casual fit with sleek glam, especially for race weekends when you’re outside all day,” she says. “It’s like where Fashion Week meets sports.”
In addition to its popularity online, the spokesperson for F1 also attributes the rise in interest to the reality show on Netflix, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which has aired since 2019. But the explosion in popularity is not only leading to more women fans, it's helping women in the sport become more prominent as well. Last month, a reality show about the league’s women-only racing championship, F1 Academy, premiered on the streamer, following women drivers like Lia Block, Courtney Crone, and Chloe Chambers.
Lindsay Brewer, an American driver who was named the most influential woman racecar driver globally by motorsport.com in 2023, tells me the rise in interest among women in the traditionally “male-dominated” sport has been “amazing” to see.
“Formula 1 isn’t just about the racing anymore, it’s become a lifestyle,” she says. “Fashion has been at the forefront of the sport in recent years, and I believe that women play a major role in this; creating style moments, content, and community around it. It’s been really inspiring to see women shape the dynamic of the sport, and hopefully we will see a woman in Formula 1 someday soon.”
And of course, brands are taking notice of the trend, especially once geared toward women. Charlotte Tilbury announced earlier this year that they would become the first beauty brand to be an official sponsor of F1 Academy, with driver Chloe Chong now behind the wheel of a “Charlotte Tilbury operated by Rodin car…in the brand’s signature night crimson and rose gold colorways.” Whispering Angel, the unofficial drink of hot girl summer, became F1’s “official rose partner” in June. And American Express is partnering with Canadian F1 Academy driver Nicole Havrda, with her livery, race suit, and helmet featuring “the logo of a local women-owned small business at every race during the 2025 season.”
Interested in a paddock princess summer yourself, but not sure where to start? Eurich advises tuning into the content that can be found, where else, on social media.
“Watching clips online and following F1 drivers that I vibe with is what did it for me,” she says. “It makes it way more fun when you’re interested in the drivers and their lives. And don’t be afraid to show up to a race even if you’re still learning—which certainly I am.”