Currently 40% of Formula 1 fans are female, contributing to a total 2023 season viewership of over 1.5bn.
The increase might have a bit to do with Netflix’s “Drive to Survive”, a docuseries tracking F1 teams that topped the streaming company’s viewing rankings in 33 countries when it was released at the beginning of the 2022 season, according to Formula 1. Either way, the fans have been growing, and amongst them are a slew of celebrity names who you might never have known are die-hard Formula 1 fans.
With the Australian Grand Prix kicking of this weekend in Melbourne, we’ve rounded up all the F1 girlies who love to watch the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton fight it out for a podium – and all the events happening this weekend if you have the luck of attending.
Celebrities who love Formula 1
Celeste Barber
Aussie comedy Queen and Women’s Health cover star Celeste Barber is another lover of Formula 1, even going as far as presenting Max Verstappen with the Pirelli Pole Position Award at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Barber has also been spotted in the Red Bull tent with her dad.
Max Verstappen presented with the Pirelli Pole Position trophy by Celeste Barber.
Kylie Minogue
Not only did Kylie Minogue perform at the Las Vegas Grand Prix Opening Ceremony last year, the star has popped up on the grid around the world, including attending previous Monaco and Singapore Grand Prix’s.
Speaking to Star 2 in a telephone interview, Minogue shared her passion for Formula 1, explaining that she used to be puzzled every time she saw F1 fans staying up late just to watch cars “go round and round.” But when her sister, Dannii Minogue, started dating Canadian Formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve two decades ago, the pop icon had the opportunity to see her first F1 race. She’s never looked back.
“And then I got quite into the competitive nature of it and the soap opera of the different teams, the tactics and all of that, so now I understand it more and yeah, I think it’s exciting.”
Terry Crews and Kylie Minogue on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at on November 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, United States.
Jessica Hart
Another Aussie you’ll often see in attendance at the F1 is self-confessed rev head Jessica Hart, who spent two days trackside with Mercedes, sharing behind the scenes details from the garages over the weekend.
“Growing up I had posters of cars on my walls instead of pop stars or boys, and I was lead to believe that it wasn’t a good thing: being a girl and into cars. And I was like… f*ck it,” said Jess.
Jessica Hart at The Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix on March 17, 2019, at The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park, Australia.
Bec Judd
Not only has Australian model, television presenter, and wife of former Australian Football League player Chris Judd, Rebecca Judd, made quite a few Formula 1 appearances. She also loves to get the whole fam involved: a few years ago she proudly shared a sweet Instagram snap of her two-year-old twin sons, Tom and Darcy, at the Australian Grand Prix in Victoria wearing matching race car driving gear.
Rebecca Judd attends Glamour On The Grid ahead of the 2023 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Park Grand Prix.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway made it clear she had a passion for Formula 1 racing when she recently rubbed shoulders with Daniel Ricciardo at the Met Gala in New York City.
Hathaway admitted she was a “huge” Formula 1 fan when she gushed about her love of the sport to Ricciardo on the red carpet.
The clip of the two stars chatting immediately went viral as fans were delighted to see the merging of the two celebrity worlds play out onscreen, so perhaps we could see her in the paddock in the future.
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Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz is another Hollywood star who is recognised for her love and passion for Formula 1, having attended multiple races and been spotted more than once interacting in the paddock, as well as on the grid in Monaco in the past.
A well-known petrolhead, her presence at Formula 1 races has been covered by media outlets and shared through social media. In interviews, Diaz has shared her fascination with the technology, strategy, and high-speed action that make Formula 1 so captivating.
FIA Formula 1 World Championship 2013, Grand Prix of Monaco, Actress Cameron Diaz.
Full 2024 F1 Schedule
Beginning with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 3 and finishing with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 9, the 2024 F1 season will be the biggest ever, with a record 24 races on the schedule.
Joining the calendar is the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, which hasn’t been held since 2019 due to COVID complications, and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Bologna, Italy, which was cancelled in 2023 due to extensive flooding in the region.
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The Drivers
The 2024 F1 grid remains entirely unchanged from the end of last season. And with the exception of Daniel Ricciardo replacing Nyck de Vries at RB, the grid looks exactly the same as it did at the start of 2023:
Red Bull Racing: Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell
McLaren: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll
RB (formerly AlphaTauri): Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda
Alpine: Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon
Sauber (formerly Alfa Romeo): Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu
Haas: Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg
Williams: Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant
Charlotte Tilbury and the F1 Academy
Beauty mogul Charlotte Tilbury has been announced as an official partner of the F1 Academy, spotlighting the exceptional female drivers, such as French native Lola Lovinfosse. The sponsorship aims to nurture the drivers’ careers and highlight their achievements to inspire broader awareness of the opportunities within this amazing sport for women.
Launched in 2023, the F1 Academy is an ambitious new project from Formula 1 to develop and prepare female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition. The category is designed to give drivers access to more track time, racing and testing, as well as support with technical, physical, and mental preparations. It will provide young talent in junior categories with access to the fundamental level of experience needed to progress to Formula 3 and join the Road to F1.
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5 things to do at the Australia GP (other than watch the race)
At the circuit there will be a number of popups you can check out offering immersive experiences and delicious bites.
1. Visit the Lune and Espy Pop-Up
In the Fan Zone, Lune Croissanterie will bring the scent of fresh croissants to Albert Park, with the range of classic croissants to be baked on-site each day. Nearby to Lune and another first-time addition to the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit will be The Espy, a replica of the iconic St. Kilda Esplanade Hotel. Located in the Fan Zone, alongside the infamous Melbourne Walk, the bar will be complete with reproductions of the original venue’s mural, stained glass features and façade.
2. Artist lineup
The Crown Main Stage will be the place to be after the racing wraps up daily: Offering an array of Australian musical talent in rock, pop and EDM music, night one – Friday, 22 March – will be led by ‘I Said Hi’ singer Amy Shark. She’ll be joined by Melbourne electronic music favourites Northeast Party House and DJ Jake Webb.
The following night, ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ rockers Jet take the stage alongside Vanessa Amorosi, who will bring ‘Absolutely Everybody’ to their feet after a performance from Yo! Mafia. Empire Of The Sun will close the weekend with a DJ set. They’ll follow ‘My People’ outfit, The Presets, offering their signature live show and DJ Emma Peters.
3. Experience the fashion and beauty pop-ups
Mecca Maxima will be hosting an epic Beauty Pit Stop Station for an express graphic eye look using their Zoom eye collection (and a sneak peek of their April launch!). Elsewhere La Roche-Posay and Ralph Lauren will be hosting installations where you can check out their latest products like the new POLO RED PARFUM fragrance.
4. Williams Racing Fan Zone
The Williams Racing Fan Zone will bring F1 to the heart of Melbourne city and give you the chance to interact with the Williams Racing drivers and the team. There will also be the opportunity to purchase exclusive Williams Racing and Australian Grand Prix merchandise.
5. Wine tasting with Valteri Bottas
Melbourne’s iconic Botswana Butchery is hosting a ticketed dinner this evening where you can indulge in an amazing 4-course menu alongside Valtteri Bottas. Featuring a Q&A with Bottas & Corrina Wright, you’ll learn the origins of Oliver’s Taranga wines.
Where can you watch F1 in Australia?
Every practice, qualifying session and Grand Prix of the 2024 F1 season will be broadcast live in 4K on Fox Sports and Foxtel Now. All races can also be streamed live and on-demand on Kayo.
Australian Grand Prix session schedule
The Australian Grand Prix will start with the Practice 1 race on Friday, 22 March (12:30 PM AEST). This hour-long race will be followed by a second practice race, named Practice 2, later that day (4:00 PM AEST).
On Saturday, 23 March, a third practice session, called the Practice 3 race, will begin at 12:30 PM AEST . Later that day, the drivers will roll out on the Melbourne-based circuit for the qualifying race at 4:00 PM AEST. The result of this qualifying race will set the grid for the main event.
The final or the main race of the Australian Grand Prix 2024 will take place on Sunday, 24 March at 3 PM AEST.
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