F1 Season Finale Draws 7.5m Audience

The Formula 1 season finale, which was held in Abu Dhabi drew a peak audience number of 7.5 million on Channel 4.

The mayhem which fans witnessed in the final lap at the Yas Marina Circuit saw a figure of 4.4 million viewers at 2:32 pm UK time, the highest F1 one-minute peak on Channel 4 for live F1.

The masses saw Max Verstappen winning his first-ever driver’s championship with a thrilling last-lap controversial overtake. Channel 4 and all three Sky Sports channels broadcasting the race had a combined peak TV audience of 7.4 million – a 60% share.

Two appeals were launched by the Mercedes team straight away after the race against the result. One against Verstappen for allegedly overtaking under a safety car and the second for breaching of rules concerning race restarts following a safety car period. Both the appeals were dismissed.

Ian Katz, Channel 4 Chief Content Officer, said, “Though many British F1 fans will be disappointed by the result, it’s fantastic that Channel 4 was able to bring this nail-biting finale to the 2021 F1 Season to 4.4 million viewers free to air and, in partnership with Sky, to an incredible peak audience of 7.4m.

“Following on from the return of Test cricket to free-to-air television, a remarkable Paralympics and Emma Raducanu’s triumph, it was a fittingly-dramatic end to an extraordinary year of sport on Channel 4.”