Behind Racing Bulls’ youth-focused strategy changing the F1 game
Racing at the speed of culture
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FROM VIRAL Kardashian lip-synced TikToks and chronically online meme references on social media, to on-the-pulse artist and music collab drops that balance on the edge of streetwear-adjacent circles, no one in the Formula 1 paddock is doing youth culture like the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) F1 team.
In recent years, F1 has found itself in a fascinating place, particularly when it comes to the importance of brand, personalities, fashion, culture and youth. According to data from the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey, released by Formula 1 and Motorsport Network, the fastest-growing and most engaged cohorts being attracted to the sport are Gen Z and women, with 58 per cent of that group counting culture and lifestyle as a key part of their fandom. As Red Bull’s sister team and the entry point for many young rookies into F1, VCARB naturally lends itself to speaking to this highly engaged group. It also just happens to have an ace up its sleeve: the most well-placed team CEO within F1, who has spent his career understanding this audience, Peter Bayer.
“It all started with us having a discussion with the shareholders, the people who own Red Bull, and trying to understand how we position Red Bull Racing and how we position Racing Bulls,” Bayer tells us, speaking at the Red Bull teams’ season launch in Detroit. “We got lucky, because we’ve basically been tasked with working with a young fan base, so it came naturally. It would be more difficult trying to do it all with other drivers, but because we work with young drivers like Liam Lawson and [2026 rookie] Arvid Lindblad, they allow us to authentically connect to a younger audience.”
To wit, Bayer’s CV is littered with hints as to how the team got here. With a background in professional snowboarding, he’s worked as a specialist in youth engagement across sports, music, arts and entertainment; worked alongside the International Olympic Committee to establish the Youth Olympic Games (the first of which he was CEO); and prior to working at VCARB, was the secretary-general of the FIA and the chief liaison between the governing body and F1’s then-new owner, Liberty Media, helping to foster the relationship that went on to shape F1’s new entertainment, social media dominant and fan-centric era. And yes, that included being part of the early Netflix conversations.
During his time as Formula 1 World Championship executive director, Bayer also oversaw the introduction of the F1 Cost Cap, led the negotiations for the Concorde Agreement, of which the incoming 2026 Power Unit Regulations are now part of. It’s a huge CV, yet, by all accounts, he seems to be having a lot more fun these days at VCARB.
“We knew we needed to go where the young people are. On social media, we need to have a strong profile and be creative,” the Austrian tells us. “I literally just told them, ‘You guys do whatever you think you need to do’. I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission.” The devil works hard, but take a look at the VCARB socials, and you’ll see that the young social media team behind it all work harder, tapping into viral TikTok trends at the speed of light – a strategy that, since late last year, other teams have attempted to replicate. All this has allowed the team to engage its young fandom, tell those important, fun human narratives and make their fans’ social habits and interests feel seen and heard – the ultimate win for anything with a strong fandom seeking to keep it loyal and curious.
Last year, VCARB also leaned into culture through various pillars – it had Kendrick Lamar play at its team launch, collaborated in Austin with musical artist and producer Shaboozey and comedian Caleb Pressley, revealed a wicked livery and merch collaboration with rising artist Slawn at Silverstone and hosted Timothée Chalamet in full team kit in Miami, to name a few. Within this was a plan to bring fans on board via a platform that invited creators and those within all these different facets of music, art and culture to be part of the story.
“We learned that the fans wanted to participate, not just to be passive consumers,” says Bauer. “We said, ‘Let’s create a creators platform’, so everything that we do now – whether it’s a t-shirt, or the wristbands, music sets, DJs, artists, graffiti paintings – we go out to the public and we invite people to participate.” The platform has become a huge success, with thousands of people now working with the team to shape its cultural outreach, as well as some input from sponsors Cash App and Hugo Boss.
“They have an army of people thinking about this,” says Bayer. “They would basically call us and present concepts to us, and we’d really try to just let them go and say, ‘Look, if that’s what you think is great for you, for the audience, let’s do it’. So the team became a platform, not only for creators, but for creative people within our partnership structure. And that really works.”
This year, the Red Bull teams kicked of its launch with new VCARB creators and a performance from Big Sean to set the tone, and with new regulations resulting in a bigger fight and likely more drama, we can expect to see more audiences tuning in. The teams also have a new partner in Ford, Red Bull’s 2026 engine partner, now in the mix, and Bayer plans on leveraging this iconic car marque within VCARB’s cultural strategy. “It’s one of those big brands that everyone knows,” he enthuses. “Every kid knows it. Ford is a car, like Red Bull is a drink, you know? And because everyone in the Ford team is so enthusiastic about motorsport, about Formula 1, I think that helps us to really double the output and reach a whole new fan base, especially in the US.”
Taking one of the most established car brands in the world and combining it with VCARB’s fresh approach is a great challenge to have. From here, especially as other teams – and granted, other legacy sports too – are now attempting to tap into the same audience, it will be a fascinating shift to watch on and off the track. “The thing that shaped me the most is the work I’ve done in snowboarding,” admits Bayer. “Because snowboarding is not a sport, it’s a lifestyle… And I strongly believe that there are two universal languages: music, everybody understands a beat, and sport, because everybody understands a goal, a chequered flag, a winner on the podium. And to combine sports, music and all these other creative directions together, that really is what is I love to do.” He adds, “We’ve had a lot of success in this area, but I think it’s just because we went down this very authentic route and are the only Formula 1 team that does it. And we’ll certainly continue doing it all this year.”
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