Alvaro Meléndez, Co-Founder and CEO at Crant
Dr Fran Longstaff, Head of Research at More than Equal

Female racing drivers are valuable yet underutilised brand assets.

In 2023, More than Equal released its Inside Track report, the largest global study ever undertaken on the experiences of female racing drivers and fans in motorsport.

Based on survey responses from 13,000 motorsport fans and interviews with 70 relevant stakeholders (including drivers, sponsors and team managers), female racing drivers were identified as valuable yet underutilised brand assets.

Talented female racing drivers reported experiencing significant difficulty securing the necessary sponsorship to fund their progression through the sport, despite 56% of the female motorsport fans surveyed (which now account for approximately 40% of the global Formula 1 fanbase) reporting that they would be more likely to purchase products from companies who sponsored women.

In 2024, with the use of their platform Ink Lantern, Crant produced three case studies to demonstrate the unique ways in which female racing drivers can boost brand engagement and differentiation.

Female racing drivers can offer a point of differentiation for brands.

In 2024, female-founded tech company WANDR partnered with female racing driver Tatiana Calderón. The partnership was driven by WANDR’s desire to attract more female talent and to differentiate themselves from other tech companies.

The partnership was a success. Within one month of partnering with Tatiana Calderón, WANDR experienced a 67% increase in average engagement per social media post. Furthermore, the partnership successfully enabled WANDR to differentiate itself from its tech competitors by significantly enhancing its ‘gender identity, DEI and inspiration’ brand profile.

Female racing drivers can help brands tap into new markets.

In 2024, Charlotte Tilbury, an established beauty brand, announced its sponsorship of F1 Academy, an all-female driver series in motorsport. Since doing so, it has experienced a 13.3% uplift in brand love (a measure of how emotionally connected audiences feel to a brand) and has one of the highest brand love scores amongst both its beauty competitors and other motorsport sponsors. Furthermore, it has experienced significant improvements in its ‘gender identity and purpose’ brand profile.

Through sponsoring the F1 Academy, Charlotte Tilbury has differentiated itself in a crowded market and increased its ability to tap into new markets by strengthening its connection with consumers who value brands that support gender equality and women's empowerment.

Female drivers help brands build stronger emotional connections with their audience.

Based on analyses of 53 F1 and motorsports brands, Crant in collaboration with The Collective Drive found that audiences typically engage more with brands that post social media content on gender, sexual identity, race and ethnicity over content on innovation. Yet, many motorsport sponsors typically focus their social media content on innovation.

Through the presentation of a case study on the partnerships between motorsport technology company AVL Racetech and professional female racing drivers Tatiana Calderon and Aliyyah Koloc, Crant found evidence to demonstrate that female racing drivers can help brands build deeper longer-lasting relationships with their audience by showcasing narratives around female racing drivers’ journeys and achievements.

Conclusions

Evidence gathered from both More than Equal’s Inside Track report and Crant’s AI-powered platform Ink Lantern clearly demonstrate that female racing drivers are valuable yet underutilised brand assets. More specifically, sharing authentic female racing driver stories can improve the emotional attachments that brands share with their audiences. By crafting authentic, resonant narratives, these brands can boost brand engagement, establish differentiation and attract new audiences.

For a copy of the Revving up potential: The untapped potential of female drivers in brand narratives white paper please visit: https://www.inklantern.io/brandlove-femalepotential-motorsport