“There is still a lot of red” – Mattia Binotto insists Ferrari remains the dominant force in F1 amidst McLaren and Red Bull’s popularity soaring in the Global F1 Fan Survey 2021.
Ferrari is the greatest team in Formula 1, producing some of the most iconic moments in the sport.
But, in the Global F1 Fan Survey 2021 conducted by the Motorsport Network, F1 and the Nielsen Group, it saw itself losing the #1 spot among fans for the very first time.
Followers from 187 different countries chose McLaren as their most favourite team, followed by Red Bull. But the Red flag is still flying high, insists Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.
“First, we are focused on performance. That should be the priority but I think popularity as well is important.
“I heard about the result of the survey. I have to say if I do my own survey and look at the grandstands in Austin, there is still a lot of red so I am pretty sure that our popularity around the world is still very high.”
Lando Norris is a ladies’ man!
McLaren star Lando Norris was a hit with the ladies, voted as the most popular among the female demographic. He is glad more and more women are watching the sport, inspiring him to perform as they cheer him and the other racers on.
“It’s really cool.
“Fans are the reason Formula 1 exists, in a way. I feel like I do quite a bit for the fans and it’s nice to know I have a lot of people supporting me, cheering me on and just being there for me. That’s awesome.
“It’s good to know I can influence them or try to help change them, say good things every now and then. Normally I’m not very good at saying good things, but the fact I have the chance to influence that many people is pretty awesome.
“Especially, I guess, with the women. There are so few women in motorsport and racing, so the more I can hopefully impact on that and give them the chance to believe they can be here in Formula 1 – maybe not just as a race driver but also engineering or mechanic-ing or whatever – there are plenty of spaces for them to do that.
“If I can have an influence on them, that’s great. But I guess the more fans the merrier as well. It’s a nice thing to see.”
