Apple has gone retro in their latest partnership activation with Penske Porsche Motorsport, and I give you a glimpse in this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup. I also have details on how Formula 1 makes money and much more.
Overview
Motorsport Industry News
What are the Main Revenue Streams in Formula 1?
Silvia Schweiger breaks the graphic above here.
Turkish GP Returns to F1 Calendar From 2027 with Five-Year Deal
The Turkish Grand Prix will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2027 after securing a five-year deal. The deal was announced by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, with its exact dates in the 2027 calendar yet to be confirmed.
F1 Mulls October Return of Bahrain Race Canceled by Iran War
Sportico reports that the FIA, Formula 1 parent Liberty Media and the 11 F1 teams have discussed adding the Bahrain Grand Prix back to the 2026 calendar, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
If an agreement were to be reached, the canceled race could return ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix in early October, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the matter is private. That would put the revised event on Oct. 4, in between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sept. 26 and the Singapore race on Oct. 11. At this point, no firm decision has been made to reschedule the race.
Formula 1 in South Africa is Now a Business Case, Not a Dream
The conversation around Formula 1’s return to Africa is shifting decisively. It is no longer only a question of whether South Africa can host a Grand Prix, but whether the country can move with enough urgency and alignment to secure an opportunity whose sporting, economic and developmental value is becoming harder to ignore.
Read more at Mossel Bay Advertiser here.
FIA Agrees with F1: “We Cannot Be Hostage to Automotive Companies”
FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis targets cost cuts for the next engine formula, so F1 can have more influence over its own destiny. “”In terms of where we want to be in the future, we do need to protect the sport from the world macroeconomic situation, meaning we cannot be hostage to automotive companies deciding to be part of our sport or not.” Read more at Autosport here.
Chinese Car Brand BYD Confirms F1 Entry Discussions
Chinese automotive manufacturer BYD has confirmed that it has held talks with Formula 1‘s CEO Stefano Domenicali about a potential future bid to enter the sport. “Yes, we are talking about it.. It’s a real opportunity to test our technology.”
What’s Behind McLaren’s Fresh A-B F1 Team Angst?
McLaren CEO Zak Brown is now less annoyed than he used to be about Red Bull owning two teams, but warns it would be a “mistake” to allow Mercedes to buy a shareholding in Alpine. Confused? You should be. Stuart Codling of Autosport explains.
Business Secretary Visits Silverstone as F1’s £12bn UK Value is Assessed
Peter Kyle MP toured Silverstone Circuit and the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team headquarters on Wednesday – meeting Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali to discuss how government can further support one of the UK’s most successful global industries. Sector reports on what was discussed.
Inside WRC’s Biggest Regulatory Reset in a Generation
By the FIA’s own admission, WRC has become a “niche product” within the wider motorsport landscape. By overhauling the regulations from 2027, the series hopes to make rallying more affordable, accessible, and flexible for manufacturers and usher in a new era of rallying. BlackBook Motorsport explains how things could change.
IndyCar to Exclude Non-Chartered Teams from Races Other than Indy 500 in ‘27
IndyCar will stop letting open entries compete in races other than the Indy 500 after this season, in a move the series hopes will help suppliers plan better but could also assist in raising charter values.
The Indianapolis-based open-wheel racing series informed its industry stakeholders about the decision in recent weeks and confirmed the news when contacted by Sports Business Joournal.
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
F1 Has “No Problems” and More
- The data behind Domenicali’s certainty fans actually like F1 2026 (The Race)
- NASCAR Promotes O’Donnell & Kennedy (SpeedSport)
- O’Donnell at the wheel and aiming for a united NASCAR (RACER)
- Fast Cars, Slow Burns: Do F1 Romance Novels Help or Harm Women’s Position in Motorsport? (Paddock Journal)
- Escapade to open HQ at Bicester Motion (Bicester Motion)
- F1 Miami prez: Ticket sales pacing well for fifth year; no downturn from Canada (Sports Business Journal)
- How Red Bull Bought an F1 Team for $1 and Built a $20 Billion Empire (European Business Magazine)
- Porsche Is Selling Off Its 45% Stake in Bugatti Rimac (Robb Report)
- The McLaren Racing‘s F1 Car as Premium Brand Real Estate (Malte Karstan)
- The impact of Franco Colapinto in F1’s Latin America markets (Sector)
- Can Formula 1 Capitalise Off Its Chinese Popularity Boom? (Paddock Journal)
- IHRA Acquires Empire Dragway (NY) (PRI)
- Motorsport Australia releases 2025 Annual Report (Motorsport Australia)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
The Future of Formula E
The future of Formula E is just some of what is discussed in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have details on Envision Racing’s new livery and much more!
The Numbers This Week
Nascar’s Talladega Race Averages 3.97m Viewers on Fox
NASCAR averaged 3.97 million viewers on Fox for last weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. This represented a marginal two per cent fall compared to last year’s race, which averaged 4.04 million viewers on the same channel.
Motorsport Law Roundup
Gibbs Granted Preliminary Injunction Against Gabehart
Joe Gibbs Racing has been granted part of the preliminary injunction relief it sought against Chris Gabehart.
Judge Susan Rodriguez finally handed down her ruling late last Thursday night, after the initial request was filed in late February. Gibbs has been seeking to prevent Gabehart, its former competition director, from serving in what they have argued is the same role at Spire Motorsports. The organization is suing Gabehart over stolen trade secrets and looks to enforce an 18-month non-compete clause.
A New Playbook for Saudi Sport: Understanding the Kingdom’s First Unified Sports Law
Saudi Arabia’s sports sector has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, from the Public Investment Fund’s landmark acquisition of stakes. Gowling WLG explains the implications.
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
Apple’s Retro Partnership and More
- Porsche Penske Motorsport extends Apple alliance with new throwback look (RACER)
- Haworth: F1 commercial potential ‘nowhere near ceiling’ (Sector)
- Formula 1 teams up with Off Season to launch racing-inspired fashion collection (Formula 1)
- Endurance sponsorship runs on a different engine from F1 or MotoGP (Riccardo Tafà)
- Cadillac F1 Team hires Excel as exclusive AOR as sponsor hunt heats up (Sports Business Journal)
- Race Around the World – Formula One and the Art of Global Reach (Sportcal)
- Philip Morris Expands Ducati ZYN Deal To Support Smoke Free Growth (Simply Wall St)
- Kenyon: ‘AB InBev deal helped reset Williams’ commercial approach’ (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Case Study: How KitKat turned a theft into a chocolate hunt (Famous Campaigns)
- Exploring Popular F1 Racing Teams with Crypto Sponsorships (Last Word on Sports)
- Dollar Tree Signs Multi-Year Agreement With Jimmie Johnson, Expands Relationship With Legacy Motor Club (LMC)
- Types of Motorsport Sponsorship for Brands (RTR Sports Marketing)
- StubHub Named Title Sponsor of IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca)
- Williams F1 drivers become comic book stars in exciting Marvel collaboration (Motorsport Week)
- Jack Daniel’s New McLaren F1 Collab Is a $600 Whiskey That Clocks in at Nearly 120 Proof (Robb Report)
The Business of Running a Race Team
Blundell’s Journey from Formula 1 and IndyCar to Touring Car Team Captain
For some, Mark Blundell is perhaps best known for his five-year stint in CART IndyCar racing where he won three times and took a further two podiums. For others, it might be his time in Formula 1 where he stood on the podium three times, or even Le Mans where he tasted victory in 1992 with Peugeot.
Today, though, he runs a successful marketing business which has spawned an equally successful team in the British Touring Car Championship. Evolving from his time as driver in the series back in 2019, MB Motorsport is now in its seventh season, having gone through various iterations along the way.
“I’ve always been a fan of the British Touring Car Championship,” Blundell tells RACER. “Always felt that it’s a great platform. It’s always had competitive racing, it’s had good parity where you could come in and actually have an opportunity to actually get a result. And I think for me also, the fact that it’s got access for fans, it’s got real, true engagement is an attraction, and today it’s the UK’s premier motorsport platform.”
Read his thoughts about the transition from driver to team owner on RACER here.
Team & Manufacturer News
Signatech’s Future and More
- With Alpine’s impending Hypercar exit, what’s next for Signatech? (RACER)
- McNish appointed Audi F1 racing director with immediate effect (Autosport)
- Great Wall Motor Developing First China-Built GT3 Car (Sportscar365)
- Arrow McLaren, Legacy Motor Club join Indy 500 forces on Hunter-Reay entry (RACER)
- HMD Motorsports to Enter 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 with AJ Foyt Racing and Katherine Legge (HMD)
- Juncos Hollinger, Dreyer & Reinbold announce co-entry and technical partnership for VeeKay at Indy 500 (RACER)
- DXDT forced to withdraw from Laguna race following fire (RACER)
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.
