Flags and rumors: What fans Googled during the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix

The Formula 1 spectacle arrived at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the eighth round of the 2023 season, marking a refreshing change in scenery, for it was the second non-street circuit race of the year following the season opener in Bahrain. The Spanish Grand Prix was a thrilling spectacle, with teams introducing upgrade packs, numerous overtakes, and an unusual podium lineup. Max Verstappen emerged victorious, leading every lap, while Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and George Russell clinched second and third places, respectively. Maintaining the tradition since the season opener in Bahrain, I turned to Google Trends in the aftermath of the race to learn about the most popular Formula 1-related search topics related to Formula 1 people were searching for during the race and where these searches originated from.

At 14:50 UTC on Sunday, June 4, 2023, I entered “formula 1” into Google Trends to identify the most popular worldwide queries from the previous hour. This timeframe covers the last 37 minutes of the race, which kicked off at 13:00 UTC, Verstappen's finish at 14:27 UTC, and the following 23 minutes.

During this hour, global search interest peaked between 14:33 and 13:37 UTC (Figure 1).

The most popular Formula 1-related searches during this period included the inevitable Driver of the Day query, alongside a couple of fresh and somewhat amusing entries. The first is the black and white flag, a warning to drivers for unsportsmanlike behavior, shown to race winner Max Verstappen for repeatedly exceeding track limits during the final laps. Although this flag carries no penalties, it is a rare sight on the racetrack, leading many fans to seek more information about it.

The second query that stood out was “shakira formula 1." Yes, that Shakira, who made an appearance at the paddock this weekend. While celebrity sightings at F1 events are quite common, Shakira's presence stoked the ongoing rumor mill about her and Lewis Hamilton dating. The TV director's timing of highlighting Shakira just as Lewis crossed the finish line added fuel to the fan speculation, at least, according to Google Trends.

As for where these Google searches came from, I was interested in what regions of Spain showed the most interest hoping to see some of the hometowns of the Spanish drivers. And indeed, I did. Leading the list is the Principality of Asturias, home of Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, as seen in Figure 3.

I’ve been examining these Google Trends since the season’s first race. Doing so offers curious insights directly from fans worldwide and is a fun way to handle the post-race blues. This analysis was particularly unique due to the different top-related queries. The number one was the ever-appearing Driver of the Day, resulting from a multitude of fans Googling this phrase so they could vote for their favorite driver (as I did for the first time this season). Then, there’s the mention of the black and white flag due to Max receiving the first of the season and of Shakira for reasons only she and Lewis know.