NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell has praised Formula 1’s growth in the United States and admitted that NASCAR has lessons to learn from its rival. Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, O’Donnell said F1’s growing popularity benefits motorsports as a whole rather than threatening NASCAR’s position in the American market.
“But we can learn from F1,” O’Donnell said. “F1 growing, motorsports growing, is great for us.”
The NASCAR CEO also highlighted Formula 1’s storytelling approach, particularly its efforts to feature people beyond the drivers. He believes NASCAR needs to do more to showcase the personalities who help run teams and prepare cars for races. His comments come as both series look to attract new fans and keep existing audiences engaged throughout the season.
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell Explains Why F1’s Growth Matters
Formula 1 has expanded its presence in the United States in recent years. The Netflix series Drive to Survive, additional American races and greater cultural attention have helped bring the championship to a wider audience.
O’Donnell views that growth as a positive for NASCAR and the wider motorsports industry. “The growth of F1 in the U.S. is a positive for our sport,” he said in a related clip from his CNBC appearance.
NASCAR remains a major force in American motorsports television, but the CEO acknowledged that Formula 1 has found ways to connect with fans beyond what happens on the track. He did not describe the two series as rivals competing for a fixed number of viewers.
Instead, O’Donnell suggested that growing interest in Formula 1 could encourage more people to follow motorsports. NASCAR could benefit by learning from F1’s methods for keeping viewers interested between race weekends.
NASCAR Needs to Tell More Stories Beyond Its Drivers
O’Donnell’s clearest point concerned how NASCAR presents the people behind its teams. He praised Formula 1 for including team principals and other figures in the sport’s wider story.
“Some of the things we’ve learned, I really like. How they’ve treated personalities outside of their drivers … we need to do that.”
The NASCAR CEO also pointed to pit crew members as people who deserve more attention. He noted that many former Division I athletes work on pit road and said their roles offer stronger storytelling opportunities.
NASCAR coverage has traditionally focused heavily on drivers, their performances and their rivalries. However, team owners, crew chiefs and pit crews also shape what happens during race weekends.
Formula 1 has used Drive to Survive and regular media appearances by team leaders to give fans more insight into team decisions, relationships and tensions. O’Donnell’s comments suggest NASCAR wants to explore similar ways to present its own personalities.
He did not announce a new media project or confirm changes to NASCAR’s race format. He focused on making the sport’s existing people and stories more visible.
NASCAR’s Growth Plans Put Fan Engagement in Focus
O’Donnell’s comments fit into NASCAR’s wider efforts to grow its audience and strengthen its business. The series has expanded its media distribution across traditional television and digital platforms, while streaming partnerships have created more ways for fans to follow races.
NASCAR has also discussed longer-term growth through initiatives such as Project 2032, which aims to align key groups across the sport around shared goals.
Better storytelling could support those efforts by giving viewers more reasons to follow NASCAR throughout the season, not only during races. Showing the work of pit crews, crew chiefs, and team leaders could help fans understand the people and decisions behind each result.
However, O’Donnell did not promise specific changes during the CNBC interview. It remains unclear whether NASCAR will introduce new programming or digital content based on Formula 1’s approach.
His message was clear: Formula 1’s growth benefits motorsports, and NASCAR believes it can improve how it tells the stories behind its racing.
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