Domenicali hails Antonelli as F1 trumpets record crowds

Formula One is enjoying a golden era, with its boss Stefano Domenicali heralding a "glowing half-term report" marked by sold-out races and soaring viewership figures. The sport has seen all 11 races this year reach full capacity, with six circuits breaking their attendance records.

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I think that for the sport, he's really great. He's fresh, he's still very new and very open to any kind of thing that is happening to him.

Britain's Silverstone circuit hosted the largest crowd, drawing an impressive 564,000 spectators over the weekend. In total, nearly 3.7 million people have attended race weekends so far this season, an increase from 3.4 million at the same point in 2025. Notably, Japan saw an 18% rise in attendance, while Britain experienced a 13% increase.

Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli, 19, has been a significant factor in this surge. Domenicali lauded the young Italian driver, who hails from the same region as the F1 boss, as an "incredible asset for the future." Antonelli has won six of the 11 races this season, contributing to the resurgence of teams like Ferrari, which has seen wins from both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

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He has brought a lot of new fans connected to him because the nature of his way of engaging is fantastic...he's added a new dimension.

Television audiences have also seen dramatic increases. In Italy, viewership is up 27% compared to last year. Brazil experienced a five-fold increase in race weekend viewership, with a record 18 million tuning in for the British Grand Prix. Globally, the Monaco Grand Prix, won by Antonelli, attracted nearly 80 million viewers. Fan surveys indicate 66% of fans rate the racing as good or excellent, an improvement from the previous season. The sport's audience is increasingly diverse, with women making up 42% of fans and 43% of the total fanbase being under 35 years old.

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He's an incredible asset for the future of what we're doing together.