Since the release of the Netflix Documentary Series Formula One: Drive to Survive, the highly esteemed European motorsport has skyrocketed in popularity across the world. With five seasons already available to stream, and a sixth in the works, Netflix has successfully brought an abundance of new and passionate young fans to Formula One (F1). Though the series tends to over-dramatize a lot of the rivalries between teams and drivers, no one can deny that Netflix’s Drive to Survive has brought the gift of F1 to the lives of many impassioned fans.
Arguably the biggest impacts of this F1 craze have been felt in the United States of America, where the rapid growth of the F1 fan base resulted in two new U.S. races being added to the F1 calendar: a race under the sun in Miami and thrilling grand prix along the iconic strip of Las Vegas. New races and more viewership weren’t the only things to come from Formula One’s “Netflix era,” major changes have happened in the sport with the rise of support from F1 fangirls.
As an F1 girlie myself, it has truly been a pleasure to watch F1 fangirls bring a lot of love to the sport. In recent years, teams like Ferrari, RedBull, and Aston Martin have completely changed their marketing style, shifting toward highlighting drivers’ personalities rather than just their achievements, and there has even been an increase in F1-related podcasts, made for and by women who love the sport. One of the most interesting developments to emerge from this new fangirl craze is the making and sharing of F1 friendship bracelets at race weekends, and this is how it got started.
The “Swiftification” of Formula One:
Since the beginning of Taylor Swift’’s International tour: The Eras Tour, there has been a huge trend amongst concertgoers who make handmade friendship bracelets before shows, and trade them with others. Often crafted with dollar store beads, these bracelets spell out song titles, lyrics, or even inside jokes from the fandom. Some swifties have gone so far as to make hundreds of these bracelets at a time, and some have even started to bring them into other fandoms like F1.
F1 friendship bracelets first started when TikTok user @forzakate gifted Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc a “Forza Ferrari” friendship bracelet in a hotel lobby during the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Since then, the Monegasque driver has been seen wearing the bracelet in many interviews, team videos, and even at events outside of the sport. When the news spread on social media it caused a giant chain reaction within the F1 community. Other fangirls soon began gifting bracelets to other drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and Alex Albon.
Bracelet Making Tents at the Austin Grand Prix:
This wholesome trend has grown so big that fans have started to trade their friendship bracelets with other fans while attending races. Similarly to those from Taylor Swift’s concerts, they bear the names of teams, drivers, and other unique sayings or jokes from the F1 fandom. The trend even became so popular that months before the 2023 Austin Grand Prix, the Circuit of Americas Twitter account tweeted out a post encouraging fans to make bracelets for the event. This influence worked with F1 fangirls arriving in Austin with their wrists full of bracelets to trade.
To the surprise of many, the Circuit of Americas venue made sure to go the extra mile by making a designated spot at the track for fans to trade in the fan zone. Labelled as a “Friendship Bracelet Making” tent, there was a small, reserved space in the fan zone for fans to make bracelets onsite. There were tables full of beads and string while staff even went around with bags full of bracelets, handing them out.
TikTok user @brooklynnhawthorne even shared images of some of the bracelets fans were trading.
Driver’s Speaking Out:
In a recent video interview with The Today Show, McLaren driver Lando Norris spoke out about the increase of female fans of the sport, shedding light on the recent trend for gifting bracelets to drivers. He explained that at times it “feels like more girls than guys” are at the track showing their support for the drivers, which he sees as a “good thing” for the sport.
On the new bracelet trend he commented: “Quite often they have these little (friendship) bracelets that you get every weekend, so I have a huge, huge collection of all these now,” while proudly showing off a handmade bracelet on his wrist, “a couple of years ago this was not a thing, and then for some reason in the last year, two years maximum, it feels like everyone who comes to the track now has to come with a bracelet.”
Some other drivers have also taken to social media to post Instagram photos of the bracelets (click here to see Alex Albon’s post of a bracelet bearing his and his girlfriend’s initials) while some wear them consistently throughout a race weekend. Charles Leclerc’s “Forza Ferrari” bracelet even became a piece of jewelry he regularly wears, putting it right back on his wrist as soon as any race is over.
Final Thoughts:
The act of trading F1 Friendship bracelets has become a fun way to bring fans together. It has connected fans who share similar allegiances, but it has also united people who root for rival teams. Drivers have reacted so positively to the bracelets they’ve received that an unspoken sense of camaraderie has been built between them and their fans. It appears that the sport has welcomed this tradition with open arms. Thanks to F1 fangirls with a few beads and some string, a new sense of love is being felt throughout the F1 community.
Are you also a fan of Taylor Swift and Formula One? Then, get yourself to a dollar store, buy some beads, and indulge in making a few Formula One-themed friendship bracelets. It’s a wholesome way to show support for your favourite teams and drivers. Who knows? Maybe you’ll come across an opportunity to trade with another F1 superfan sometime soon.