F1 London Live: Should the Fan Event Return in 2024?

F1 just did something they’ve never done before – brought all 10 teams together for one massive car reveal in London. It was quite a show, marking the sport’s 75th anniversary.

More than 15,000 fans packed the O2 arena, with tickets selling out in just 20 minutes. Online, the event drew 4.6 million viewers, hitting a peak of 1.1 million at one point.

But not everyone was thrilled about it.

Teams had to fly their cars and staff to London right in the middle of their pre-season preparations. They even had to pay for their own part of the presentation. For smaller teams like Sauber and Haas, there were worries about being overshadowed by the big names.

Ferrari didn’t even show up for the media sessions, choosing to do their own thing in Italy the next day.

The event showed some growing pains. Teams complained about tight security making it hard to arrive on time, and the press setup wasn’t ideal for getting good interviews.

Red Bull Racing handled it best, breaking away from the formal setup to have smaller, more personal chats with drivers and team leaders. But they left with a bitter taste – their team boss Christian Horner and driver Max Verstappen got booed by the London crowd.

The show definitely had a British flavor. Martin Brundle, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris got lots of spotlight time, leading some to suggest a future event might work better in neutral territory like America.

“It would’ve been different if this happened in Amsterdam,” some British fans claimed. But we’ll never know if that’s true.

Will there be a second edition? It’s complicated. 2026 brings new racing regulations, and teams will need every minute to work on their cars and engines. Finding time for a big show might be tough.

But F1’s owners, Liberty Media, have to be happy. This is exactly the kind of event they love – flashy, dramatic, and perfect for attracting new fans. It’s part of their strategy that’s turned F1 from a money-losing sport into a hugely profitable one.

Traditional F1 fans might find it all a bit much. But that’s kind of the point – F1’s going after a new audience, even if it means some old-school followers might tune out.

The real question isn’t whether the event was perfect – it’s whether this new tradition will stick around for the long haul.