This article is part of a three-part series evaluating which racing series are best positioned to replicate Formula 1’s meteoric rise via a Drive to Survive-style transformation.

This 3-part series breaks down exactly what that readiness looks like.

Part 1 - The Scorecard: A framework to evaluate which motorsport series are ready for a Drive to Survive-style leap.
Part 2 - The Tradeoff: Why growing your audience means disappointing your purists.
Part 3- The Case Study: A deep-dive into the most viable candidate outside of F1, and what it would take to cross the threshold.

If you're an exec, sponsor, or rights holder, this is the blueprint.

In Part 1 we used an objective scorecard to assess media and market readiness across the biggest global motorsports properties. The result: only the WEC sits within striking distance of the all-important 4.0 benchmark that makes such a leap possible.

But readiness isn’t just about structure, it’s also about mindset.

That’s where we turn next.

Summary results from Part 1 of this series (click image to be taken there).

I’m a big fan of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.

Not the bombastic U.S. version with its over-the-top music and theatrical blowups; I’m talking about the original UK series from the early 2000s. Gentler, more grounded, but still carrying that signature Ramsay edge.

In that version, he’s less TV personality and more turnaround consultant. And like any good consultant, he often faces resistance. One line comes up in nearly every episode:

“We don’t want to alienate our existing customers.”

Those customers are usually older.

Loyal, yes.

Familiar, yes.

But often part of the problem, and Ramsay always cuts straight through:

“You’re catering to them, and still failing. You need a more dynamic customer base if you want to survive.”

The same applies to motorsport.

F1 is the poster child for transformation, and part of its success came from deciding that the most important audience wasn’t the one they already had.

It was the one they didn’t.

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In less than 500 words.

Growth has rules, and they’re not built on loyalty

In any business, growth comes down to three levers:

Sell more to existing customers
Raise prices on existing products
Reach new customers in new markets

If your existing fan base could deliver all three, you’d already be growing.

The truth?

Hardcore fans don’t scale. They retain, and retention is not the same as expansion.

This is the problem that has plagued series like WRC and IndyCar. Their fans are knowledgeable, passionate, and loyal, but they’re not the future (if they were, there wouldn’t be nearly as much hand-wringing about where these series are headed).

Designing your product (your broadcast, branding, social content, format) to please them is like designing a smartphone for flip phone users.

You’re locking yourself into yesterday’s potential.

This isn’t always intentional. In many cases, the issue is that no one has clearly defined what growth looks like and where it should be headed.

So the default becomes: “Let’s not upset the base.”

But if you haven’t identified who your growth audience is, and what they expect, then you’re not just failing to attract new fans. You’re actively reinforcing the ceiling above you.

In Part 1, we introduced a scoring system to evaluate how close different motorsports series are to being media-ready in the modern sense. But no scorecard can fix philosophical resistance.

Which brings us back to WEC, and any series that wants to reach a new tier of relevance.

Tradeoffs build traction

The mindset shift starts with one truth: every time you optimize for the diehards, you risk alienating the mass market.

And sometimes… that’s fine.

If your base is big enough, loyal enough, and growing, great.

But some motorsport series not named F1 are dealing with the opposite: a shrinking, aging base and limited new exposure.

So the path forward starts with a question:

Who are you designing for?

If the answer is “the people already watching,” you’re stuck.

If the answer is “the people who haven’t said yes yet,” you have a shot.

That means shifting the broadcast tone:

Creating star drivers, not just fast ones
Embracing lifestyle branding
Investing in digital-first content.
Designing experiences that hook someone who’s never seen a race before, not just someone comparing lap times and regulations to 2003.

Does this only apply to the WEC?

No. This applies to any series below the Drive to Survive threshold.

But WEC is the standout because it’s closest to being ready, structurally speaking: it has marquee brands, global races, and growing media interest.

But if it wants to close the final gap? It needs to optimize for outsiders.

Purists will cry foul. Let them.

The insiders, realistically, aren’t going anywhere, that’s why they are referred to as “hardcore” fans.

This doesn’t mean abandoning the core audience. But it does mean making decisions with a new audience in mind.

F1 made the trade, it left behind the hardcore fans and became a global icon.

Other series now face the same choice, or really the same imperative.

If you're serious about growth, that’s the road ahead.

Conclusion: The tradeoff before takeoff

If you want to reach new heights, you don’t climb with old anchors.

Every motorsports series says it wants growth. Very few are willing to confront the tradeoffs required to get there.

F1 did, and in doing so, it redefined what global motorsport could be.

Not just faster cars or better racing, but a premium media property, a lifestyle, a cultural force.

That same opportunity is within reach for others. As we saw in Part 1, the WEC is the only series structurally close to making that leap. But structure isn’t enough.

In Part 3, we’ll apply the principles we just explored and ask: what would it actually take for the WEC to achieve “Drive to Survive”-style relevance? The answers aren’t cosmetic, they’re foundational. Some will sound drastic.

But they’re exactly the kind of changes that unlock escape velocity.

Stay tuned.

Are you ready to optimize your series marketing potential?

At Vaucher Analytics, we help race teams and manufacturers turn racing budgets into brand capital.

If you’re serious about making your motorsport series matter beyond the podium, let’s talk.

Book your 30-minute discovery call by contacting us today:

Through our website’s contact form, or
Via email at contact@vaucheranalytics.com

Photo credit: W eibo via Unsplash

Part 2 - The Tradeoff - Drive To Survive: To Grow, You Have to Let Go