Why I’m Reimagining Formula 1 for Indian Hearts, Streets, and Screens
- HUKHTA PATEL
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
Once upon a race track, Formula 1 was a niche sport; a blur of roaring engines, espressos in the paddock, and Europeans saying “box box” like it was a secret code.
Now? It’s a global phenomenon with 826 million fans worldwide. And I’m one of them. Not just as a viewer, but as a believer in what design and storytelling can do when they hit full throttle.
Let’s rewind the lap timer. Because F1 didn’t just get faster. It got louder, clearer, sexier; thanks to the underrated MVPs: storytelling and killer design.
The Netflix Effect: Storytelling That Fueled the Comeback
Before 2018, most non-Europeans couldn’t name more than “that guy who dated Nicole Scherzinger.” (That’d be Lewis Hamilton, FYI.)
Then came Netflix’s Drive to Survive and everything changed.
It wasn’t about race strategy or tire degradation. It was about rivalries, human drama, and high-stakes tension. Suddenly, team principals were celebrities, and a mechanical failure felt like heartbreak.
Key statistic: Between 2018 and 2022, F1’s social media following grew by 42%, surpassing 49 million across platforms, making it the fastest-growing major sport online. [Source: Formula 1 Annual Report, 2022]
Case in point: The U.S. saw a 28% viewership spike between 2020 and 2022. In 2023? America got not one, but three races on the calendar: Austin, Miami, and Las Vegas.
[Source: Nielsen Sports, 2023]
This wasn’t luck. It was narrative strategy. The story wasn’t “who’s fastest?” It was “who has the most to lose?”
Hollywood’s Pit Stop: The F1 Movie That’s Gunning for More Fans
Just when you thought the storytelling couldn't get any bigger, Hollywood pulled into the paddock. Brad Pitt. Joseph Kosinski. Lewis Hamilton producing. That’s not a movie. That’s a cultural missile with carbon fiber wings. Slated for a 2025 global release, the F1 movie is shot during actual Grand Prix weekends with Pitt’s character racing alongside real F1 teams and cars. No green screens. No slow pans. Just raw, cinematic speed.
And guess what?
According to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, the film is expected to “turbocharge global interest,” especially among Gen Z and new markets outside the traditional European stronghold.[Source: Variety, 2024]
In other words: If Drive to Survive lit the spark, this movie is the supercharged nitro shot.
Design That Makes Noise: Even Without Sound
Confession time:
My love for engines predates my F1 obsession. I grew up in India, watching Fast & Furious marathons, Rush, Need for Speed, and even the melodramatic-but-iconic Ta Ra Rum Pum. Also, shoutout to the Yamaha RX100-my first love.
But F1’s magic isn’t just in the sound. It’s also in the visuals.
Design pivot: When Liberty Media took over in 2017, they didn’t just fix the business. They redesigned the brand.
A cleaner, digital-first logo
A bold, adrenaline-pumping color palette
Futuristic typography
Consistent race graphics that screamed SPEED
Suddenly, every graphic felt like a part of the story.
Design Case Study: The F1 TV Pro app’s UI overhaul in 2021 made dynamic data, driver cams, and instant replays actually usable; transforming race-watching into race-experiencing. Because storytelling doesn’t just happen on screen. It happens in interfaces too.
F1 Didn’t Just Market Speed
It Branded Emotion
As a designer, I’ve always believed:
People don’t fall in love with features. They fall in love with feelings.
And F1 nailed this:
They didn’t say “watch Verstappen vs. Hamilton.” They said “watch two philosophies of racing collide.”
They didn’t say “come for pit strategies.” They said “watch humans push limits in the face of chaos.”
Design translated those emotions into typography, poster art, race graphics, sound design, social memes, AR filters, and even fashion collabs. The feeling of F1 became a lifestyle.
So… Where Do I Come In?
I’m not an engineer.
I’m not a driver (yet, ha).
But I am a designer and storyteller obsessed with making people feel something powerful.
F1 taught me this: When done right, design moves masses.
When layered with story, it turns statistics into stakes and products into passion.
India: The Next Lap?
Despite being one of the world’s most populous and fastest-growing economies, India has had a limited but fascinating relationship with Formula 1 and global motorsport. From local racing heroes and world-class circuits to missed opportunities and bureaucratic roadblocks, the story of F1 in India is full of speed bumps, sharp turns, and potential for a resurgence.
Here’s where I want to turn the wheel:
As someone who grew up in India, where cricket dominates every screen and Formula 1 felt like a distant rumble, I wasn’t raised with paddocks, pole positions, or pit strategies. I knew more about Sachin Tendulkar's batting average than I ever did about a constructor’s championship. Formula 1 wasn’t even on my radar. No one I knew followed it. No street in my neighborhood echoed with the sound of engines or debates about tyre strategy.…But storytelling? That I understood.
There’s a growing Indian audience craving speed, story, and belonging. We’ve got the love for cinema. The energy for sport. The tech to build. But F1’s local activation? Still warming up the engines.
Creative campaign ideas for Indian audience:
Theme | What It Does | Industry Examples |
Human-Machine Parallel | Evoke emotion by mirroring precision in people/machines | VW + Bumrah ad |
Everyday → Race | Link local challenges to motorsport metaphors | Motul’s Traffic Warrior campaign |
Celebrity Endorsement | Bring F1 mainstream via star power | ISRL x Salman Khan |
Sustainability + Innovation | Align with India’s EV and green tech growth | Mahindra Racing (Formula E) |
Youth & Campus Love | Tap into student-led race culture | Pravega Racing calendars |
Let’s Build:
Culturally-rooted F1 visual identity
Karting pop-ups and sim racing in colleges
Localized storytelling campaigns
Branded content that connects Chennai to Silverstone
The goal? Make F1 not just a sport we watch, but one we relate to.
From Pit Lane to Personal Growth
This post isn’t just about Formula 1.
It’s about how storytelling and design, when aligned with emotion and purpose, can revive industries, build global communities, and inspire careers.
For me, it started with a bike, a movie, a race; but it’s really about momentum.
And mine’s just getting started.
References:
Formula 1 Annual Report, 2022
Nielsen Sports, “Global F1 Viewership & Social Growth Report,” 2023
Variety (2024): Brad Pitt’s F1 Movie to Boost Global Interest
Liberty Media Investor Reports, 2021–2023
McLaren, Mercedes-AMG F1 brand assets
Netflix, Drive to Survive (S1–S6)
A Change of Brand Podcast: The F1 Rebrand
Byeeeeeee!!!
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