The Rapid Rise of China’s Merch-Driven F1 Fandom

Merch, not just motors

Formula One (F1) has shifted gears in China — and the change is coming with enamel pins, acrylic standees and custom rings. Sixth Tone reports that fandom at the Shanghai Chinese Grand Prix has become as much about trading and collecting fan-made merchandise as it is about lap times. Why the pivot? Fans say the practice borrows from concert culture and gives people a tactile way to show team loyalty and build local communities.

Numbers behind the surge

The spike is real. According to UK-based sports analytics firm Nielsen Sports, the Chinese Formula One fanbase grew by nearly 40% from 2024 to 2025, and total attendance at the three-day 2026 Chinese Grand Prix reportedly exceeded 230,000 — the largest crowd in the event’s history, with more than two-thirds of spectators traveling from other Chinese regions and roughly 14% from overseas. Regional fan clubs, some now numbering in the hundreds, are staging meetups and merch swaps that organizers say boost both turnout and enthusiasm.

From Zhengzhou living rooms to Shanghai grandstands

Sixth Tone profiles Guo Xiaoyao, a founder of a 500-person regional fan club, who encapsulates the trend: she designs and trades homemade items — including rings engraved with Lewis Hamilton’s slogan “Still We Rise” — and has watched her Hamilton fan group grow from a dozen members to more than 160. What started as a solitary interest in motorsport in Zhengzhou has become a social and creative enterprise, as fans mix DIY craftsmanship with factory-produced goods and trade across age groups.

Culture and commerce meet geopolitics

This merch-driven fandom arrives as China reopens to international events and global sports operators court Chinese audiences. It has been reported that F1’s push into China dovetails with the league’s broader commercial strategy and with international brands’ efforts to capture younger Chinese consumers. In a period of rising geopolitical tension, cultural soft power and consumer engagement look as consequential as sponsorship deals. Who benefits — teams, organizers, or the fans themselves? For now, the answer is: all of the above, wrapped in stickers and sealed with a handshake.