In this op-ed, Always Human head of client and partnerships, Ella McKee, argues that not only do influencers belong to major sporting events, like last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix—they are in the driving seat.
Modern sporting events aren’t just attended or watched – they’re amplified, remixed and shared with millions of people globally.
Attendance is finite. The algorithm isn’t. Creators turn access into scalable content, pushing moments from the paddock to millions of feeds in real time. To stay relevant, cultural events and the brands that sponsor them have to evolve.
When I started at TikTok in 2021, many brands dismissed the platform as experimental and youth-driven. Today it’s fundamental to the media mix. That shift didn’t happen because brands suddenly changed their minds, it happened because audiences did.
They wanted behind-the-scenes access, unfiltered storytelling, and real-time experiences. Brands that adapted early became category leaders. Those that hesitated had to play catch-up.
We’re now seeing the same shift in live sport.
Why Influencers Matter At Tentpole Sporting Events
It’s time to drop the snobbery around influencers attending sporting events. They aren’t a sideshow – they’re the distribution engine.
Creators reach the algorithmic corners of social platforms where Gen Z and younger audiences actually live, far beyond the track. Platforms like TikTok have more than 9.5M views to the hashtag #F1 and F1 centric creators are on the rise.
Creators turn access and atmosphere into scalable content that builds fandom in real time. The backlash surrounding influencers attending the AO was unwarranted and short-sighted. That’s not to condone rumours of bad etiquette – but it’s 2026, and it’s time to move with the times.
A logo signals sponsorship. A creator signals participation. If brands want unrivalled fandom, they need to show up where culture is being shaped, not just staged.
The Drive to Survive Effect
When Drive to Survive launched on Netflix, it transformed F1 into mainstream entertainment.
By humanising drivers and amplifying rivalries, it unlocked a younger, more female audience: 48 per cent of new fans in 2025 were female and 43% of the total fanbase is now under 35. Last year’s F1 movie brought the sport’s spectacle and backstage drama to cinemas worldwide, Hollywood reinforced F1 as entertainment as much as a sport.
Luxury, fashion and beauty brands have quickly followed. F1 became culturally magnetic rather than technically niche. The Australian Grand Prix is no longer just a race weekend; it’s a four-day convergence of sport, fashion, music, hospitality and business – where Rita Ora performs at sunset and her husband Taika Waititi is spotted in the paddock.
Kim Kardashian is rumoured to be dating Lewis Hamilton, and whether you like her or not, if just 1% of Kardashian’s 350M audience suddenly cares about F1, that’s a meaningful expansion of the sport’s future fanbase. This evolution is exactly why influencers and celebrities are now commercially critical at major sporting events.
The Blueprint: Amex at the Grand Prix
In its second year at the Australian Grand Prix, American Express went beyond logos, leaning into experience, access, and culture. Card Members could tune into Race Radios, recharge in the new Recovery Room, visit Chin Chin’s first appearance at the #AusGP, and celebrate the 10th anniversary of Glamour on the Grid in the Amex Lounge.
Amex’s ambassadors were in attendance, amplifying the immersive experiences across social platforms. By showing up where sport, lifestyle, and culture intersect, Amex turned everyday financial services into a passport for exclusive, globally resonant moments.
MECCA applied the same playbook at both the AO and the F1 in 2026, showing up strategically to make beauty integral to the event. It’s a local brand showing up globally, not by following culture, but by shaping it.
Notable brands that went big at the F1 in 2026 were La Roche Posay, KitKat, Lego, Pepsi and Doritos. Doritos drew constant queues at its loaded Doritos stand and the Doritos tower activation that let fans climb for panoramic views of the track – if they could “take the heat”.
The Commercial Imperative
Modern sporting events are amplification engines for brands, and influencers and celebrities scale the moment beyond the track.
In F1, it’s not just the racing that’s fast-paced; the paddock has become a stage for culture.
Drive to Survive and last year’s F1 movie have brought fashion moments, front-row influencers, and a thriving WAG scene, with figures like Alexandra LeClerc becoming central to the conversation around style and sport.
This isn’t peripheral, it’s part of the spectacle. Presence now extends beyond lap times to outfits, after-parties, and Instagram grids. Creators aren’t optional; they turn presence into relevance.
The real question for brands isn’t whether influencers and celebrities belong at sporting events, it’s whether you can afford to show up without them. It’s 2026, after all. You don’t want to be left off the grid.
TL;DR
- Influencers extend the track: They reach audiences where algorithms live, turning event access into scalable fandom. Stop moaning about influencers being at sporting events and adapt, much like brands did for TikTok.
- Sporting events are cultural accelerators: F1 is mainstream entertainment, Netflix’s Drive to Survive and last year’s F1 movie transformed the sport into fashion, lifestyle, and spectacle.
- Brands must show up, not just sponsor: Narratives, experiences and brands converge, and nothing exists in isolation. Amex, KitKat, Doritos and Pepsi, to name a few, prove that participation drives relevance, amplified by creators.
