Concerns over pay-TV strategy after audience declines in markets such as China, Russia, the US and the UK
F1's largest market is Brazil where viewing figures accelerated 8.9% year on year to 85.6 million in 2012. There were also improvements in Spain and Italy, where respective increases of 11.5% and 15% compared to 2011 were fuelled by the strong performance of Spanish Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso.
UK coverage was split for the first time between the BBC and pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB in 2012, which led to viewing figures falling by 3.8 million to 28.6 million.
Audiences also dropped in other new markets for F1. In Russia they fell by 12.8% ahead of the first Russian grand prix next year which will take place at Sochi's $50bn Olympic Park. This drop was attributed to the poor form of Russia's only F1 driver, Vitaly Petrov, who failed to score a point in the 2012 championship and has not been signed up this year.
