5 Tips for Better Motorsport Race Reports (with examples)
Most motorsports teams create a race report after each race weekend. Unfortunately, many of them read like bland press releases. In a world of short-form video content, how can race reports find their place to stay relevant?
Here are 5 tips to transform your motorsport race reports into narratives fans want to read.
Race reports have long been a cornerstone of motorsport comms. As well as their archival value, they offer fans a comprehensive recount of events to bridge the gap between the track and the audience.
Whether top-tier racing like F1 and Formula E or smaller one-make series, race reports focus on everything from how it went for the drivers to the significance of battles on the track. Fans get an indepth review of the implications of race performance from a team’s perspective.
Are Race Reports Even Relevant Anymore?
A massive increase in social media content, from 280-character analysis to bite-sized TikToks, has changed how fans interact with motorsport.
Social accounts serve up quickfire clips of race highlights. Team principles break down strategies on YouTube. Drivers share personal insights on their Instagrams, while fan accounts and creators add their take, too.
In an era of speed scrolling where even a meme can convey the mood of a race, is there still a place for the traditional written race report?
Video content like The Vowles Verdict on Youtube is hit with fans for its concise yet detailed breakdown of a race week.
The Problem with Motorsport Race Reports Today
Race reports can be a great way for teams to differentiate their content, have a distinctive voice, and deliver insights not readily available in short-form content.
As well as driving fan loyalty, they’re an opportunity to drive traffic, boost conversion rates and expand a team’s web footprint—all vital from a marketing standpoint.
But when race reports offer nothing more than a basic summary, it’s no wonder they aren’t getting the right attention.
Race reports aren’t obsolete, they just need to evolve.
Most teams are missing the opportunity to fully leverage this format as a marketing and engagement tool, so here are some tips to improve the way you do race reports.
5 Tips for Better Motorsport Race Reports
Multimedia is Essential
If you’re not adding photos and other media to your race reports, you’re missing a huge opportunity to tell a story and immerse fans in the weekend’s events.
Text-only race reports (as seen below in Andretti Formula E’s 2024 Tokyo E-Prix report) should be a thing of the past.
Not only are large blocks of text are overwhelming for readers, reports like this lack visual elements that support the excitement and atmosphere of the race.
Andretti Formula E team is out of the points with its text-heavy motorsport race report for the 2024 Tokyo E-Prix.
Select Images That Further the Story
Break up your text with thoughtfully chosen visuals that reflect the story you are telling. Don’t just choose pretty pictures, make sure each one furthers the narrative.
In the example below, Oracle Red Bull Racing takes a creative approach to visual storytelling in its Japanese GP race report.
“The Japanese GP in Six pics” uses just six photos to succinctly convey the race atmosphere and the team's story while captions add context.
Having a creative constraint, in this case limiting the number of images, can help you pick the most impactful visuals for your race report.
Connect to Social Media
Embedding social posts in your race reports is another way to use multimedia to make it more engaging for readers.
Envision Racing’s Tokyo E-Prix race report highlights pivotal race moments via social media posts. This strategy not only helps fans understand race highlights, but drives traffic to social platforms to continue the conversation (and help increase social reach).
Embedding shareable content from social media encourages fans to visit and follow social platforms.
Use all Forms of Multimedia
The Maserati MSG Formula E team embeds a 60-second highlight reel into its race report. The reel gives a visual recap that complements the text of the report and potentially increases the time visitors spend on the page, too.
Embedding video like Maserati MSG Formula E team can spotlight high points and emotional moments from the race.
The Takeaway
Adding multimedia elements to your report makes it more engaging. Each image or clip should add depth and context, making your race report a compelling story.
2. Use Continual Story Building
Motorsport race reports are often written as isolated recaps of one event. Instead, create them as interconnected chapters in the team’s ongoing story.
This method, known as continual story building, involves showing how each race builds upon the last. The aim is to give readers more context, setting a larger stage for storytelling.
Referencing past performances, highlighting the track’s significance and noting historical achievements are all ways you can use continual story building.
Take Oracle Red Bull Racing as an example above. There’s continual story building connecting past events—like Pérez's challenges the previous year and Verstappen's milestones—to the present, underscoring the continual story-building aspect of race reporting.
Look Forward as Well as Back
Continual story building extends to forward-looking elements too. In the example below, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team gives a preview of what fans can look forward to next—they successfully engage fans beyond the current event.
TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team unveils what ahead at the end of its race report—a way to build anticipation and keep fans interested.
The Takeaway
Use continual story building to transform your race reports from standalone summaries into chapters of a larger narrative. By adding context, you can set the stage for a larger story and highlight a race’s significance within the team’s ongoing saga.
3. Use Stats to Bring Things to Life
Statistics and data points transform a race report from a simple recount of events into an analysis that will keep readers interested. Not only does a report become more engaging but insightful, adding another layer to the narrative.
Stats can be simple, with tyre strategies and pitstop timings, as seen in the example below by McLaren Racing in its 2024 Australian Grand Prix race report.
In another example from Formula 1, Aston Martin delivers more in-depth stats in its race report. Performance insights, historical data, race stats and more bring the race and its location to life.
Stats can be a great way to add context and bring the race to life.
The Takeaway
By integrating stats into the race story, you can provide a deeper level of insight, allowing readers to appreciate the complexities and strategy of a race.
4. Protagonists Add Perspective
Adding quotes to a race report brings a personal touch to the narrative, allowing readers to connect emotionally with the individuals behind the helmets.
Take this quote below from Pierre Gasly in Alpine’s 2024 Tokyo Grand Prix Race Report.
By detailing the challenges faced during a race, as well as a commitment to improve, we’re drawn into Gasly’s journey of overcoming obstacles for better results.
Be sure that any quotes you create are contextually integrated into the narrative to complement the story of your race report and not just just inserted as standalone comments.
There’s no better way to understand the passion and excitement, or, in this case, frustration, of the race than first-hand from a driver.
Quotes are also a great way to let the reader hear from different protagonists, giving a deeper look into behind-the-scenes decision-making.
In addition to the two drivers and Team Principle, Mercedes’ report includes a quote from Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, adding a technical perspective to the race report.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas stands out as the only team that includes quotes from team members beyond its drivers and Team Principal in its race reports.
The Takeaway
Quotes allow diverse viewpoints to be heard, humanising the team and offering readers a comprehensive, emotionally engaging story. Make sure they logically complement your narrative.
5. Nail the First Impression
If you want to write a better motorsport race reports, pay extra attention to the title and opening paragraph.
The Title
The title is the first impression, so don’t just call it a "Race Report". It should capture the essence of your specific race experience, perhaps hinting at the main event, challenge or outcome.
Williams Racing immediately captures attention through its title with its honesty and emotional impact, setting the stage for a compelling narrative. It prompts curiosity—readers are drawn to understand the challenges and events that led to this outcome.
This is in contrast to Haas…
The title you choose sets the tone and context for the narrative that follows. Haas’ title doesn’t really capture attention or make the audience want to read on.
By just calling it a race recap, Haas misses the opportunity to pull readers in from the outset. Make sure your title acts as a hook to intrigue the reader and encourage them to read further.
The First Paragraph
Like the title, the first paragraph needs to work hard to be compelling enough to make the reader want to continue.
In its Japan write up, Red Bull takes a creative approach with a first paragraph of exactly 75 words to celebrate the 75th season of the Formula 1 World Championship. This format choice gets the reader’s attention, isn’t overwhelming and delivers vital information in an engaging way.
It is 75 words, we checked 😉
Or take a leaf out of McLaren’s book with a bullet-point overview to kick off your race report.
McLaren’s “as it happened” section provides a concise overview of the race for its drivers. This format helps readers grasp the essential points without wading through dense paragraphs.
This bulletpoint overview provides a quick, clear summary of the race’s main events for Mclaren drivers. Those that want more detail can read on.
The Takeaway
Together, the title and first paragraph should work to set up the narrative—previewing the race's story arc and piquing the audience’s interest.
6. Bring Fans into the Wider World*
*Ok, we said 5 tips, but we got down here and thought of another.
Leverage the full marketing power of your race report: make it a launch pad to bring fans into the wider world of the team.
By adding links to other stories in your race report, you can entertain and inform and bind fans more closely to your team and brand.
If you want a masterclass in this, take a look at how Red Bull links to stories—within the actual race report itself to MotoGP (left) and at the bottom of the page to the wider world of Red Bull Motorsports (right).
In item 10 of its race report, Red Bull cross-promotes with MotoGP.
At the end of the race report, there are plenty of other stories to explore.
This promotion of content beyond the immediate race has a number of advantages:
Engagement: Red Bull can engage fans with diverse interests , keeping them on the site longer and deepening their engagement with the brand.
Cross-Promotion: Links to related content and other Red Bull Motorsports activities create opportunities for cross-promotion within the brand’s ecosystem. This not only increases the visibility of other Red Bull events and teams but encourages fans to explore content they may not have sought out independently.
Community Building: By offering a more holistic view of the Red Bull world, fans can feel part of a larger narrative and connected to the brand beyond just the Formula 1 races—increasing brand loyalty.
While bringing fans into the wider world is something Red Bull does well, it’s surprising to see Scuderia Ferrari not take the same opportunity:
At the end of the Scuderia’s race report you’ll find a few F1-related stories, but there’s missed opportunity to bring the Tifosi into the wider world—from endurance category racing and the Ferrari eSports team to the Ferrari store or experiences in Maranello.
But what if you’re not a giant media company like Red Bull or factory team like Scuderia Ferrari?
The point about linking to other content still stands—give your audience more ways to interact with you, whether that’s linking to off track video content, social media, interviews or other write ups.
The Benefits of Writing Better Race Reports
The first and most obvious benefit of writing better race reports is higher fan engagement and loyalty.
The second, and from a practical standpoint, is that race reports are a valuable part of a team's digital strategy helping them to:
Get higher conversion rates by attracting visitors to the team’s website and encouraging further interaction along the conversion funnel
Expand their content footprint for stronger digital presence and search engine visibility
More eyes on a page positions race reports as attractive benefit sponsors, too.
Aston Martin’s race reports have its Aramco sponsor in its title “The Debrief by Aramco”. Well written race reports that get good traction from fans could form part of the sponsor benefits you offer.
Aston Martin shows how teams can leverage race reports as valuable opportunities to benefit and showcase their sponsors.
One Thing That Will Totally Transform Your Race Report
If you want to really transform your race reports give them a thematic narrative.
Like journalistic storytelling, having a theme provides a cohesive thread that guides the reader through your race report.
A theme helps you tie elements of the report together, which is particularly effective where different aspects of the race—like individual performances, team strategy, and events on track—need to be woven into a single, unified story.
A story is up to twenty-two times more memorable than facts alone, which is why having a thematic narrative is so important.
Tips to find your race report’s thematic narrative:
Identify the subject of the race report: What’s the significance of the race in the context of a championship, season or for the team’s progress?
Analyse the characters: Assess how drivers (characters) perform throughout the race, consider strategies, reactions to race developments (like weather or incidents) and their interactions with other competitors.
Summarise the race: Look at the race as a whole narrative. What were the pivotal moments? How did the strategies of teams evolve? How did race dynamics change from start to finish? Highlight any turning points.
Identify the theme and lessons learned: Focus on what can be learned from the race or significance of the team’ performance.
Once you begin to explore the points above a theme will begin to emerge which you can integrate throughout the text and in the title, multimedia and quotes.
The Takeaway
A good theme helps the reader see the race as a story, not just a series of events. It helps to tie the sequences of the race together to make it more memorable.
Conclusion
Making race reports fans want to read is a combination of finding a theme and leveraging storytelling, strong multimedia, meaningful quotes and statistical insights. Don’t forget the wider performance of your race report as a part of the team’s marketing strategy by linking content that invites fans into the wider world of the team.
Need help writing better race reports? Get in touch.