Katie George didn't know much about Formula 1 before the release of "Drive to Survive." Like many, she was first introduced to the sport through the Netflix series, which was first released in 2018.
The show documented Formula 1 in a way never before done with sports. With only a handful of drivers to cover, everything about the sport was accessible, giving viewers a personal connection even with all the star power. With a sport so unlike tradition, the show's release pushed the boundaries of the typical American sports fan. The show grew Formula 1 in the ways it hoped, turning interest into viewers and into fans.
George was hooked immediately.
“I grew up in Kentucky so I've been to the Kentucky Speedway a couple times. I'd attended some NASCAR and attended the Indy 500,” George said. “I’ve always enjoyed it but I was never a diehard fan and didn't follow the sports until ‘Drive to Survive.’ Really watching that kind of gave me an itch to think, what are the possibilities?”
She reached out to ESPN, and soon after was on the ground for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix providing digital content through pre-race and post-race shows.
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Her responsibilities with ESPN’s Formula 1 coverage have only grown exponentially since using flashcards to learn terminology in the sport. Not only does she still update from the track as a commentator, she provides behind-the-scenes access weekly on the “Unlapped” podcast alongside Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson. With guests like Daniel Ricciardo and Christian Horner, “Unlapped” has given Formula 1 fans the instant and exclusive access to the sport that they’ve wanted.
George is just one of the women providing Formula 1 coverage for ESPN. With Kate Jackson, Vice President of Production, and Nicole Briscoe, an anchor for SportsCenter, the crew is set for this weekend's race in Austin, Texas, and then one of the biggest stages yet: the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which takes place from Nov. 16 to 18. ESPN's platforms will provide exclusive coverage of the race.
“It's gonna be really big. It's gonna be incredible. There's a lot of interest in it, which is great,” said Jackson. “The ratings that we had for the first race in Miami were huge, and so it'd be very interesting to see if this, you know, crosses over in that space. Vegas does everything big and loud and beautiful so I'm sure F1 will be no different.”
While Vegas is extravagant, Jackson doesn’t think Formula 1 coverage needs to be to grow in popularity. It should be casual, giving an audience easy accessibility to the sport. And what better way than amplifying it through digital content like social media and “Unlapped"?
"We are going to do what ESPN does for all events we cover. Embrace F1 and make it part of the conversation the way NFL is part of the conversation every week," Jackson said. "I think the future of our coverage is to mainstream F1 even more."
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Jackson and Briscoe know a thing or two about motorsport coverage. They began working together nearly 15 years ago, beginning with NASCAR before transitioning to IndyCar. Both also have familial connections to motorsports. Briscoe’s husband, Ryan Briscoe, is a former IndyCar driver who now competes in sports car racing. Jackson’s father was an open-wheel go-kart driver for much of his life before he got married. She joked that she knew more about pit strategy than how to score a baseball game.
As Formula 1 continues to grow in the States, ESPN’s trio are a part of one small thing that makes the sport unique from others — the amount of women involved. From fans to engineers to team sponsorship roles, women are hardly a rarity.
Briscoe noticed this when she first began her career in Indianapolis.
“I don't think it is necessarily uncommon to be a woman in motorsports. I think there may have been a time when that was the case, but that's not been my experience,” she said. “I think the one thing that's changing in motorsports now is how women are getting involved.”
However, while Briscoe, Jackson and George are leading the way for Formula 1 coverage in the U.S., it’s not about doing so as women. In fact, they forget they’re usually the odd ones out; it feels normal to be a woman in sports now.
“I’d never really segmented it that way and thought, oh, it’s women. I kind of just look at it like we've got the best people in the best places to do the best jobs,” Briscoe said.
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In a matter of time, the three will be telling stories from the Las Vegas street circuit to fans everywhere. It’ll be a busy weekend, with a big boxing match on Thursday night and college football on Saturday.
First, they'll tackle the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, which takes place this weekend from Oct. 20-22.
In addition, ESPN's platforms will have live coverage of the season finale of F1 Academy, a new racing series from Formula 1 that develops and prepares female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition. Three races, two qualifying sessions and two practice sessions will air live on ESPNEWS and stream on ESPN+, also from Oct. 20-22.
Following a busy weekend of events in Austin, Jackson will have a better grip on exactly what strategies to use to surprise expectations for the Vegas race.
“I think that Vegas is going to be like the pinnacle of entertainment,” George said. “I think that this is a great way to like put our foot forward from a showmanship standpoint, and I think ESPN is going to do a great job covering all of that for not only fans here in the States but fans worldwide who will certainly be watching.”
