The incredible commercial growth of Formula 1 headlines this week’s edition of the Business of Motorsport Roundup. I also have the latest drama from the FIA, this week’s motorsport sponsorship deals and bring you up to date on the most recent motorsport legal developments. All this and much more!
Motorsport Industry News
Formula 1
As Formula One celebrates its 75th anniversary, BlackBook Motorsport spotlights the defining moments from the series’ history that transformed it into the multibillion-dollar powerhouse that it is today. “The pursuit of perfection in the face of danger is what makes Formula One so captivating. It’s an easy sell for broadcasters, an enticing proposition for brands, and a property ripe for investment.”
The Oliver Oakes sudden resignation from Alpine took an interesting twist last week as the resignation came days after his brother and fellow Hitech Grand Prix director William was arrested in England. According to the Metropolitan Police, he was found with “a large amount of cash” and charged with transferring criminal property.
“William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2 after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in possession of a large amount of cash,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told The Telegraph. “He appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, May 3, and remanded in custody.”
Meanwhile, With William Oakes in custody, Michael Sanwell-Lewis has now been appointed a director. Sanwell-Lewis has been the group financial controller at Hitech since March last year, after working as its finance manager since mid-2016.
The Victorian Government has confirmed a $350 million upgrade to the Albert Park Grand Prix precinct, home to the Australian Grand Prix, with plans unveiled by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos at midday on Sunday. The multi-stage redevelopment will include a new pit building, expanded paddock and hospitality facilities, and year-round infrastructure improvements to ensure the Melbourne circuit remains at the forefront of global motorsport. Auto Action has more details here.
Formula One is not a “major player” in the US yet, according to Liberty Media’s new chief executive Derek Chang. “We’re obviously looking for a [domestic] partner that can help us continue to grow the fanbase,” Chang said. “We are, I believe, in the US still pretty early on, especially when you compare against other US domestic leagues. Which means there’s a lot of head room, and it’s up to us to go out and capitalise on it.”
General Motorsport Industry News
Last week I mentioned that Carlos Sainz Sr was thinking of running for FIA president. Now current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is reportedly suggesting amendments to the organization’s regulations that may enhance his authority, as a confidential document outlining these changes has leaked out. The plans, which will be reviewed at the upcoming FIA General Assembly, include provisions that could limit presidential election candidates, and increase his influence over the FIA Senate’s membership.
He has also announced that he has revised his position on the controversial swearing ban he recently announced after “extensive consultations” leaving current F1 drivers wondering if the change is just a re-election ploy in a chaotic FIA.
Here is the roundup of the latest coverage.
- FIA president proposes changes to governing body (BBC)
- Could Carlos Sainz Sr be blocked from standing for FIA presidential election? (Autosport)
- Sainz foresees no conflict of interest in Sainz Sr’s mooted FIA presidential bid (Autosport)
- FIA president Ben Sulayem seeks greater control with latest proposed changes (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Mohammed Ben Sulayem is willing to do anything to win a second term (Jalopnik)
- FIA revises driver swearing penalties (Autosport)
- Hamilton and Russell blast FIA president’s swearing ban U-turn (Autosport)
The Dallas Business Journal explains what IndyCar’s Grand Prix of Arlington will bring to the Dallas-Fort Worth region. “Thousands of people are expected to attend the Grand Prix of Arlington next March — the first street race of this kind in Dallas-Fort Worth in decades. Here’s an inside look at the preparation that is already underway and the expected economic impact.”
Commercial and digital brands, as well as automotive ones, are interested in buying the outgoing McLaren Formula E team, Motorsport Week can exclusively reveal. “Motorsport Week understands that its title sponsor NEOM – the joint-stock company owned by the Saudi Arabian government, which is also a planned city on its Tabuk Province – is interested in purchasing the team.”
In this edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, the business of motorsports is in full throttle as Business at the Brickyard continues. From Gasoline Alley to global headquarters for brands, we explore why Indiana is one of the top three motorsports hubs in the world. Veteran executive Rollie Helmling breaks down the industry’s $1 billion impact, and why Indy’s brand is key to future growth.
MotoGP broke its all-time attendance record at last weekend’s French Grand Prix. 311,797 fans watched Johann Zarco become the first French rider to win their home race since 1954
With a new television partnership that’s delivered big audience growth for some events and shortfalls in others, FOX and the IndyCar Series have made adjustments to the start times and broadcast times for five of the 11 races that follow after the Indianapolis 500.
“This is a massive primetime showcase under the lights for the stars of the IndyCar Series,” said IndyCar President Doug Boles. “This is also a tremendous display of partnership from both FOX Sports and our friends at World Wide Technology Raceway, who’ve worked with us to generate this exciting opportunity for our sport. Race weekend in St. Louis is just a month away, and fans in venue and around the country are in for a real treat when IndyCar arrives in town.”
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
- What It’s Like Being a V.I.P. at the F1 Miami Grand Prix (Robb Report)
- In Emilia-Romagna, Formula 1 Still Has a Soul (Business of Speed)
- NASCAR goes FTA in Mexico for debut Cup Series race (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Motorsport Games Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results (PR)
- 11 F1 Drivers with Successful Side Hustles You Never Knew About (Grand Tour Nation)
- Nine “definitely” interested in F1 rights in Australia (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Land Rover Just Unveiled a New Defender Prototype for Next Year’s Dakar Rally (Robb Report)
- New ownership set to invest $30 million into Apex Motor Club (RACER)
- How McLAREN’s Commercial team is supercharging the team’s Championship pursuit (McLaren)
- Why Commercial Partnerships Could Be the Deciding Factor in F1’s Championship Race (Business of Speed)
- Harley-Davidson to launch global racing series with MotoGP in 2026 (Business Day)
- What to expect at HPX this year? The Women’s Em[POWER]ment Summit (Grassroots Motorsports)
- Apple Maps Speeds Into Monaco for F1 Grand Prix (CNET)
- Breaking Barriers: How Tim White Is Redefining International Race Engineering From New Zealand (The Malaysian Reserve)
- NASCAR’s Kyle Larson Begins Second Quest For Indianapolis 500 Glory (Forbes)
- TFH Racing adds Formula RX8 to category portfolio (SpeedCafe)
- Brad Pitt’s F1 Movie: Everything We Know (Esquire)
- How E-cigarettes Are Changing The Game In Motorsports (M1 Sports)
- Marcus Ericsson Eyes Second Indy 500 Win: Impact on Racing-Related Crypto Tokens (Blockchain News)
- World’s Highest-Paid Athletes (Forbes)
- MotoGP rider salaries: how much do MotoGP riders earn? (Driven)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
Formula E plans for the future and in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup you will see what they face and how they are planning for it. I also have more details of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N on track and much more!
The Numbers
McLaren Racing took the checkered flag on and off the track at the Miami Grand Prix. “Using Blinkfire’s Benchmarking tools, we ranked the top five teams by total social media value and noted their movement compared to the previous race weekend. Surging to the top of the leaderboard with $5.5 million in total social media value, McLaren claimed the #1 spot for the first time this season. Mercedes also moved up two positions on our leaderboard after a podium finish from George Russell.”
The NASCAR Cup Series averaged 2.32 million viewers on FS1 for last Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway while IndyCar slumped to 710k ahead of Indy 500. BlackBook Motorsport has the details.
Motorsport Law Roundup
A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week
The U.S. Court of Appeals ended last Friday’s oral arguments over the preliminary injunction granted to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports by urging the teams and NASCAR to take upcoming mediation seriously. The court also signaled that they found the injunctive relief problematic and signaled they might vacate it.
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is facing a new lawsuit over allegations that it stole trade secret-protected motorsport software from its former partner Prema Engineering. The complaint was filed late last month in with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Prema Engineering has accused the automaker of stealing trade secret-protected steering wheel software. The complaint alleges that Lamborghini secretly copied Prema’s software and then used it to support its new partnership with Riley Motorsports. Fashion Law has more details.
Autosport reports that MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin aims to leave Aprilia at the end of 2025, while the Italian manufacturer is set to consider its legal options. Aprilia believes it has legal grounds to block the rider’s exit, arguing that the release clause in the contract should not apply due to his injury-related absence, and that there is no obligation to extend the trial period.
In another motorsport athlete contract squabble, Alpine tried to “bully” Oscar Piastri into driving for the team in 2023 prior to losing out on his services to McLaren in Formula 1, according to CEO Zak Brown. “They did not even ask him,” Brown told Mail Sport. “They put the statement out as if it was a done deal. It was used to bully him into doing what they wanted.”
GVS looks at Iowa’s bold move to protect local racing from noise complaints. “By granting these venues a protected status, Iowa is not just preserving a beloved pastime; it’s also acknowledging the cultural significance of racing in the region. This law sends a clear message: racing isn’t just a sport; it’s part of the community’s identity.”
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
Here are the latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week
- Xiaomi becomes long-term partner of Nürburgring and will have its own curve on the Grand Prix Circuit (Electrek)
- Campos Racing and Blinker Celebrate 14 Years of Joint Sporting Success (Campos)
- WRC Sponsors: The Official Partners and Their Strategies for Success (RTR Sports)
- Foyt lands sponsor Clarience Technologies for David Malukas (RACER)
- Tullamore company Palfinger to launch sponsorship of MMB Racing superbikes team (Offally Independent)
- Dale Coyne Racing announces Molson Coors Beverage Company’s partnership with Miller High Life for this month’s Indy 500 to celebrate Danny Sullivan’s 1985 Spin and Win (Adam Stern)
- ‘Fans want us to work together’: Why Lego is building new products around Formula One (SportsPro)
- Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) and Hoosier Racing Tire Announce Multi-Year Partnership (HSR)
- 2025 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix: Activations from Alo, LEGO, Liquid I.V., TAG Heuer and More (Event Marketer)
- Introducing Richard Mille Quietly Dropped A New Limited Release With Ferrari’s Formula 1 Driver – The RM72-01 ‘Charles LeClerc’ (Hodinkee)
- Here’s What’s Driving the Watch Industry’s Formula 1 Mania (Robb Report)
- Formula 1 Sponsors and Partners 2024–2025: A Comprehensive Breakdown and Analysis (Spomotion)
- My Glass Sponsors VW Motorsport Series in South Africa (Media Update)
- Amazon ‘virtually sells out’ NASCAR, women’s sports inventory ahead of upfront (Sports Business Journal)
- Rosenqvist to run Creed livery at Indy 500 (RACER)
- Wheels Up Partners with United Autosports to Deliver Customers Unmatched Motorsport Experiences (PR)
- Arthur Leclerc, a passion for racing, music, crypto. And, winning! (CEO World)
- EBC Brakes Racing Sponsors Caterham 2025 (The Brake Report)
- Mazda Joins AdventHealth and Jostens as Presenting Sponsors of the 3rd Annual Women in Motorsports North America SHEro Award Honoring Women Making an Impact in Motorsports (Yahoo Finance)
- Spectrum Enters Motorsports Era as Meyer Shank Racing Sponsor (The Fast Mode)
- Team Penske nets McLaughlin new naming rights partner in Tire Rack (SpeedCafe)
- E1 names Bombay Sapphire as official gin sponsor (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Minnesota Based Yacht Brokerage Company Becomes Le Mans Race Team Sponsor (PR)
The Business of Running a Race Team
As Team Principal of Williams Racing, James Vowles knows what it takes to steer a team toward success under extreme pressure. Hear about his approach to building trust, developing resilient teams, and leading through change.
Team & Manufacturer News
Here is a roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport
- Mercedes-AMG Confirms 12-Car Attack For Spa 24 (Daily Sportscar)
- Brad Jones Racing confirms Toyota switch for 2026 Supercars season (Autosport)
- Towriss pushing Cadillac F1 to ‘exceed expectations’ (RACER)
- Inside Cadillac F1’s next steps: Crash tests, staff recruitment and drivers (Motorsport.com)
- How McLaren’s Zak Brown Wins with a Pair of Rivals (The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly)
- McLaren’s F1 Powerhouse Can Only Compete With Itself (Front Office Sports)
- Winward Adds Third 24H Spa Entry for Ward, Ellis, Dontje (Sportscar365)
- AF Corse Add Two Pro-Am Cars To Spa 24 Hours Entry (Daily Sportscar)
- Shade Racing in Doubt for Sepang After Suzuka Test Fire (Sportscar365)
- Why the Timing is Right for Ford’s Hypercar Entry (Sportscar365+)
- Flying Lizard Withdraws From Remainder Of GT World America Season (Daily Sportscar)
- Wayne Taylor Suggests Possible Dual Series Program in 2026 (Sportscar365)
- Ford “won’t run away” if Max Verstappen leaves Red Bull (Motorsport.com)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
