A grand finale: What fans Googled during the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

As I sat before my screen at 7 am, ready to watch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, feelings of excitement and nostalgia washed over me. This race wasn't just the climax of the season; it marked the end of my journey with the Google Trends analyses, a ritual that evolved after a spontaneous question I had after the first race in Bahrain: What did people Googled during the race?

This year's series gained an added dimension, as I had the opportunity to witness the thrill of two races directly from the trackside. These moments, though brief, enriched my understanding and connection to the sport. Now, as I watched the final race unfold, with Verstappen in the lead, it reminded me of how each race, each trend, and each fan's search wove together to tell the story of this captivating season from the perspective of data and Google Trends.

For the last time, I’ll say that in the spirit of maintaining the tradition I initiated at the season’s dawn in Bahrain, I delved into Google Trends post-race to explore the most popular Formula 1-related search topics during the event.

Yas Marina Circuit (2022). Photo by me.

On Sunday, November 26, at 14:55 UTC (18:55 Abu Dhabi local time), I wrote “formula 1” in Google Trends to discover the most popular worldwide related queries from the past hour. This hour window captured the final 32 minutes of the race leading to Verstappen’s victory and celebration fireworks and the following 28. During this period, Google’s global interest index (Figure 1), a metric devised by Google’s algorithm reflecting the volume of users searching for the phrase “formula 1,” peaked at 14:25 UTC, two minutes before Max crossed the finish line.

Figure 1. Interest over time in the phrase "formula 1." Data from Google Trends.

The top five worldwide searches during this hour, as illustrated in Figure 2, pertained to the ever-popular Driver of the Day award, a fan-driven accolade recognizing outstanding performance during the race. Consistently a focal point throughout this series, this weekend’s award went to the Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda of Alpha Tauri, possibly explaining why the search query “ドライバーオブザデイ” (Japanese for “driver of the day”) topped the list.

Figure 2. Top queries related to "formula 1." Screenshot from Google Trends.

From a geographical perspective, many Grand Prix host countries topped the list of nations most interested in the term “Formula 1,” with the Netherlands, home of Max Verstappen, positioning first, like the driver himself.

Figure 3: Top five countries where the search term was popular. Screenshot from Google Trends.

And so, it concludes. Looking at Google Trends after every race since the season opener became part of my racing weekend. Whether I was at home, in an airport, or trackside, I made sure to check what you all Googled minutes during the race concluded. This ritual not only entertained me as I watched the podium ceremony and interviews or as I left the track but also, most importantly, it made me feel connected with the fans worldwide.

Will I continue this in the next season? That remains uncertain. Regardless, I’ll keep typing “driver of the day” into Google, joining fans who do the same in the race's closing minutes.

Thank you for reading and sharing this journey with me.