GP Explorer Redefines Motorsports and Launches Vision For A Future Creator-Driven Racing League
What began as a post-pandemic idea inspired by Netflix’s Drive to Survive has rapidly evolved into one of the most disruptive and successful motorsports entertainment projects in Europe. During Race Industry Week, Alexandre Lennuyeux, Global Managing Director, and Antoine Titz, Event Director of GP Explorer, shared the extraordinary story behind the influencer-driven racing phenomenon that has rewritten the rules of fan engagement and introduced an entirely new audience to motorsport.
Created by France’s largest YouTuber Squeezie, GP Explorer launched in 2022 at the legendary Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans in partnership with the French Motorsport Federation (FFSA) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). What started as an experimental Formula 4 race for content creators instantly became a cultural sensation. The inaugural edition attracted 40,000 fans on site, sold out within minutes, and generated more than 1 million live viewers on Twitch, ranking among the most-watched streams worldwide at the time.
Momentum accelerated rapidly. The second edition welcomed 60,000 spectators, while the third and final edition in the original format reached unprecedented scale with 200,000 tickets sold across three days, combining practice sessions, qualifying, a full Grand Prix weekend format, and two massive concerts staged directly on the circuit. The final race alone delivered 1.2 million viewers on French national television, outperforming the live Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix broadcast that same weekend in France. For the first time, GP Explorer also expanded internationally with U.S. and Latin American creators participating and livestreaming the event.
Beyond attendance and broadcast figures, GP Explorer achieved what most motorsports organizations struggle to do: it successfully introduced motorsport to an overwhelmingly non-traditional and youth-driven audience. The majority of attendees had never followed racing before, coming primarily to support their favorite creators. Through professional training programs, real Formula 4 machinery, and full race-weekend operations managed by FFSA, fans were exposed to the true technical and human complexity of motorsport — from engineering and safety to driver preparation and pit-lane execution.
“We showed that motorsport is not just entertainment — it’s a technical, mechanical and human adventure,” said Lennuyeux. “The public discovered the work of mechanics, engineers, and trainers in real conditions. We were proud to educate while entertaining.”
For its third edition, GP Explorer elevated the concept to a full festival experience, mirroring Formula 1’s structure with competitive sessions blended with large-scale live concerts that drew nearly 90,000 spectators. The event also earned widespread recognition and praise from professional motorsport figures, including Formula 1 drivers, who applauded the project for its originality and impact.
With the conclusion of its three-event trilogy, GP Explorer is now preparing its next evolution: the creation of the Explorer League, a new creator-owned motorsports league aimed at fundamentally reshaping how young drivers access professional racing. The vision is bold — content creators and celebrities will serve as team owners, drafting and backing emerging drivers with real competitive programs, visibility, and financial support. The initiative is designed to lower the financial barriers that traditionally prevent young talent from progressing through the motorsport ladder.
“The Explorer League will focus on talent discovery and opportunity, not just entertainment,” said Titz. “Creators will act as team presidents and give real drivers a path they might never have had otherwise. We want to combine visibility, financing, and professional structure into one ecosystem.”
While official announcements are still forthcoming, plans include a public draft system, professional technical partners, and full safety and training programs managed in collaboration with motorsport federations. If finalized as envisioned, the Explorer League could become one of the most innovative motorsports development systems in the world.
GP Explorer is operated within Bump, the influencer agency founded by Squeezie, which represents more than 60 creators exclusively and specializes in turning creative vision into large-scale live experiences. From boxing events to festivals and motorsport, Bump’s model merges brand partnerships, influencer activation, and entertainment production into hybrid commercial platforms that reach massive Gen-Z and Millennial audiences.
Asked whether the GP Explorer model could succeed in the United States, both executives expressed confidence that a similar creator-driven concept could thrive with the right personalities and collaborative culture. “The key,” they noted, “is assembling creators who truly trust each other and share an ambition that goes beyond traditional content.”
As GP Explorer transitions from a groundbreaking event series into a long-term motorsports development platform, one thing is clear: it has already proven that the future of motorsport growth may well lie at the intersection of creators, competition, and community.
