F1’s We Race As One: a man’s world through the female consumer

Formula One has for the majority of its existence always been a man's world, where the sport was made by, ruled by, and executed by men. In recent years, the desire for more female representation in the sport has become more prominent, with the ban of the grid girls being one of the most impactful decisions. It came to an all-time high through the initiative We Race As One in 2020. As F1 has previously stated not wanting to be involved in and affiliated with sociopolitical issues, it indicated the start of a new era in the sport. The topic of branding and Formula One is academically underdeveloped and has largely not been researched greatly. Previous academic research regarding Formula One has not considered looking at the view of the minority of the fans and considered their lack of representation in the sport and the effect of this cause. This thesis, for the first time, sheds a light on how female consumers view the recent developments in Formula One. The main research question focuses on this problem by stating “What is the female consumer’s view of Formula One’s initiative “We Race As One”?”. This is answered by the two sub-questions “To what extent is F1 brand activism perceived as effective?” and the second sub-question is “How are F1 and We Race As One co-constructed through the view of female consumers?”. To research this, 10 female consumers from different countries were interviewed through semi-structured interviews, which were all transcribed, coded, and analyzed. The coding and analysis were done with reflexive thematic analysis and a deductive approach. The collected data showed the hesitancy of the female consumer in regard to We Race As One. Most participants doubt the sincerity of the initiative and view it as done under pressure. Nonetheless, the female consumer sees We Race As One as progressive, as it allows a platform for women and minorities in the sport. While the want and desire for more females in the sport is greatly present, the hesitancy to see it come to reality remains and is instilled in the consumer. In terms of brand co-construction, the female consumer indicates not minding the masculine traits the sport offers and resists hegemonic masculinity at this point. Negativity experienced by the female consumer is mainly found online by other male consumers by diminishing the role of the female in the sport and community. The subjectivity and normativity built by the female consumer results in the construction of their own reality and discourse, allowing for agency and freedom in the masculine environment of Formula One.