As reported on Motorsport.com, Formula 1 teams are now allowed to post video from the first week of testing in Barcelona to their social media channels.

#F1Testing, Day 1: afternoon – we are GO! pic.twitter.com/rN2dQz9U6o

— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) February 27, 2017

Whereas previously, the commercial rights holder did not permit the posting of videos to social media in favour of keeping a tight rein on their content, new owners of F1, Liberty Media seem keen to make the most of social and digital media.

That’s no surprise, and it’s a move which will be welcomed by fans of the sport. But it’s also a very positive move indeed for the sport as a whole.

Last summer, we wrote about the impact that F1s inability to take advantage of digital media was costing the sport. Research from social media analysts Snap Rapid, showed that the sport – despite seemingly overlooking social media – was already gaining huge exposure on social platforms. Monetising it, then, could be of huge untapped benefit to the sport as a whole.

As the rights to F1 grands prix have been snapped up by pay-TV broadcasters rather than their free-to-air cousins, audiences have dropped. That’s to be expected, as free-to-air TV will quite logically have a higher audience, but exposure on social media could be vital to the long term growth of the sport. And its new owners may well be trying to rectify that.

So far, Motorsport.com reports, it’s just this week’s testing that can be posted to social media, but a new announcement is expected quite soon.

This is a positive step for a sport under new ownership which is looking to share its new and exciting era with the wider world. Social media is the best way to make that happen.