The F1 paddock has becomes a startup deal hub and in this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup you will find out why. I also have details on why this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix is thriving and much more.
Overview
Motorsport Industry News
The Hottest Place for Startups to Strike a Deal? The F1 Paddock
In “The hottest place for startups to strike a deal? The F1 paddock,” TechCrunch explores how Formula 1’s paddock is evolving into a powerful business arena where startups, investors, and global brands connect and close deals amid the sport’s high-tech, high-profile environment. Discover why race weekends are fast becoming prime territory for innovation and partnerships.
Read the full article: https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/10/the-hottest-place-for-startups-to-strike-a-deal-the-f1-paddock/
How the Miami Grand Prix Became A Formula 1 Celebrity & Luxury Powerhouse
With extensive new VIP build-outs, secret speakeasies and even a dedicated superyacht, the Miami GP attracts the likes of LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, Colin Farrell, and more. Maxim looks at what sets this Grand Prix apart from others.
Clark County Extends Las Vegas Grand Prix Through 2037
The Las Vegas Sun reports that the Clark County Commission last Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution extending the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix’s presence on the Strip through 2037. The 10-year extension keeps the Grand Prix locked into its annual November slot — the week before Thanksgiving — with race organizers committing to smoother event setup and teardown processes as part of the deal.
“Commissioners pointed to the race’s economic impact on the region as a driving force behind the decision to extend their partnership. … County Manager Kevin Schiller noted race officials approached the county with a commitment to improve their installation and removal process. Those improvements would include track lighting foundations, an underground conduit for better communications and the installation of permanent gates for improved traffic flow on roads.”
Horner in Talks Over New BYD F1 Team Entry
Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s return to Formula 1 could be as the head of a 12th team entry with Chinese car manufacturer BYD, with talks on a potential tie-up ongoing according to The Race..
“It has emerged that during a visit by Horner to the south of France last week, where he also attended the Formula E race in Monaco, he spent time with BYD during a special activation event it held at the Cannes Film Festival. During that event, it is understood Horner met and spoke with Stella Li, BYD’s executive vice president, to discuss thoughts on F1 and scope for a potential partnership. The pair of them also posed for photographs together.”
Other Sports Have Strict Rules Against Multi-Team Ownership. Why Doesn’t F1?
With news that Zak Brown has written he FIA once again arguing against team alliances in light of the Mercedes-Alpine F1 talks, The Athletic asks, since other sports have strict rules against multi-team ownership, why doesn’t F1?
“Brown’s argument is that, in 2026, F1 can now do without close technical alliances or team co-ownership, the latter being something Mercedes’ interest in Alpine could only further.”
The F1 Power Unit Formula Solution That Could Suit All Parties
Amongst the debate over Formula 1’s future engine formula, Jake Boxall-Legge of Autosport has made the same argument that I have made ever since the budget cap has been implemented. If all teams have to use sustainable fuels and are subject to a cost cap, why dictate what type of power unit that they can run? “But here’s the question: why does F1 and the FIA need to dictate the specific inputs of the engine formula?“
Banking on Success: Inside Madrid’s New Grand Prix Circuit
The new home of the Spanish Grand Prix features a centrepiece corner half a kilometre long, and banked at 24% from the horizontal. And it’s based, unusually, inside a European capital city. General manager Luis Garcia Abad gives Autosport a progress report.
“We’re planning to create a big experience with Formula 1, but it’s a big experience for the city, it’s a big experience for the people who will be with us this weekend. The airport is well connected with public transport, we have metro stations very close to the circuit.”
How Montreal is Thriving in F1’s North American Boom
The Lenovo Canadian Grand Prix was the only Formula 1 race accessible to American fans throughout the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s. Sector explains how new promoter Bell Group says Formula 1’s US races add ‘mediatic presence’ to the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Nürburgring 24H Brings In the Crowds and Questions for F1
The 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours delivered the ultimate endurance racing experience for fans, drawing a record crowd of 352,000 spectators to the Nordschleife and the participation of Max Verstappen raised questions for both Formula 1 and Germany.
“The huge turnout for a GT3 race was in stark contrast to the reality of Germany’s position as a tail-off in F1 interest means that neither of its historic race tracks, either the Hockenheimring or the GP layout of the Nürburgring, currently hosts a Grand Prix, despite ample German representation through Mercedes and Audi, as well as drivers such as Nico Hulkenberg and the successes of others like Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, and Michael Schumacher over the last 25 years.”
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
Is F1 the New Oil and More Insights
- Indy 500 grandstands sell out again, local TV blackout lifted for 2026 (Indy Star)
- Why visibility is no longer optional in motorsport (Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah)
- Beauty found its way into Formula 1, and it shouldn’t surprise you (She’s In the Stands)
- Aston Martin Just Sought Emergency Funding for the Eighth Time Since 2018 (Robb Report)
- NASCAR partnership marketing group set for shake-up with seasoned exec Byron to depart (Sports Business Journal)
- Christian Horner to advise Oakley Capital on Sports Investments (Oakley Capital)
- ACO and Richard Mille to Open M24 Museum of Motorsport (Engine Builder)
- IndyCar’s Boles focusing on the need to bring bumping drama back to Indy qualifying (RACER)
- I/AM Aston Martin: How One Team is Rewriting the Rules of F1 Fandom (Paddock Journal)
- Why Ford ‘loves the V8 idea’ in F1 amid changing road car strategy (Autosport)
- McLaren Racing Announces Return of Next Program for Aspiring Young Women In STEM (McLaren)
- South Carolina Signs Right-to-Race Into Law (PRI)
- Trust Isn’t Given, It’s Proven — Featuring Ludovic Peze (Motorsport Prospects Podcast)
- Pikes Peak International Raceway to close at the end of 2026 (Grassroots Motorsports)
- IHRA Names Dustin Farthing President As Organization Accelerates Motorsports Expansion (Dragzine)
- Major Albert Park rebuild phase completed (SpeedCafe)
- Viagogo appoints Matthew Stallknecht as director of motorsports partnerships to drive category expansion (SportsPro)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
JCB Hydromax Aims to Break Hydrogen Land Speed Record
The JCB Hydromax is aiming to break several speed records as it uses hydrogen-powered engines to power its attempt, and I have the details in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have details on the latest FIA sustainability report, the growth of alternative fuels and more!
Motorsport Law Roundup
Private Equity and Sports: Navigating the Legal Playbook
Private equity’s presence in sports is no longer novel, nor is it confined to marquee professional franchises. Across Canada and North America, institutional investors are playing an increasingly visible role in the ownership, financing, and commercialization of teams, leagues, and adjacent platforms at every level, from the professional ranks to minor-league affiliates, each raising distinctive structuring complexities and governance challenges.
Stikeman Elliott looks at navigating the legal playbook when it comes to private equity and sports.
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
The Growth of the Williams Sponsor Portfolio and More
- Scarcity, data and a pricing floor: How the Williams F1 team rebuilt their sponsorship portfolio (SportsPro)
- Gucci in Talks With Renault F1 Team Alpine Over Sponsorship Deal (Bloomberg)
- Alpine issues statement after Gucci F1 sponsor rumours surface (Motorsport Week)
- For Tommy Hilfiger, Racing Is in His Brand’s DNA (AOL)
- MotoGP vs F1 sponsorship: what the gap actually buys (RTR Sports Marketing)
- Red Bull Racing and Crocs unveil new collaboration (The Race)
- How Cadillac Showed Up For Their First Home Race (Sunday’s Sponsors)
- The Venetian Resort Las Vegas Extends Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix Partnership, Welcomes Back BWT Alpine Formula One Team, And Unveils Exclusive Race Weekend Packages (Las Vegas Grand Prix)
- Airbnb add to sports portfolio with NASCAR tracks agreement (Sportcal)
- MotoGP Sponsorship Guide 2026: What It Is, How It Works & Why It Matters (RTR Sports Marketing)
- Zain Jordan Official Sponsor of Jordan Rally 2026 (Al Arab News)
- Suitcase maker Floyd named official supplier to Racing Bulls (Sector)
- McLaren expands entertainment strategy through new Global partnership (Sports Mint)
- Dirt Is Good named Official Laundry Detergent Partner of F1 ACADEMY with Zoe Florescu announced as Zandvoort Wild Card (F1 Academy)
- Why F1 Sponsorships Shouldn’t Be Measured the Same Way Every Year | Formula 1 Sponsorship ROI (Outlap Agency)
- F1 Has Become an IP Business. Now What? (Paddock Project)
- Semiconductor giant Intel returns to F1 with McLaren partnership (Sector)
- ‘People know Snapdragon exists now’: How Qualcomm is using F1 to build a global consumer brand (BlackBook Motorsport)
- The F1 sponsorship map is being redrawn (Dan Wells)
- Jacob Abel Partnering With Texas Roadhouse for Indy 500 (Front Stretch)
- Mattel launches Tiniest Team Principal promotion (Mattel)
- Beneath the surface: RFK Racing works to get submarine recruit sponsor value at naval base race (Sports Business Journal)
- Formula 1 and Hasbro unveil Monopoly Formula 1 Edition (Formula 1)
- Formula E to make Goodwood Festival of Speed debut as Official Partner (Formula E)
- Dunlop Tyres takes on the Italian Rally Championship (Motorsport Week)
- Monster to become Aprilia’s title sponsor in MotoGP from Italian GP (Autosport)
- Clemco sponsoring Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Atlanta, Gateway (Jayski)
- Emma & Jens Grede Set Their Sights on F1 (Sunday’s Sponsors)
- One race weekend. Seven years in the making (Brand Prix)
- F1’s AI Sponsorship Boom: What Tech CMOs Are Actually Buying (Racing United)
The Business of Running a Race Team
Megan Foster on Leading Dick Johnson Racing
She fell in love with motorsport as a child in a country town, made her name in automotive marketing, and now Megan Foster is bringing corporate discipline and personal passion to the role of CEO at Dick Johnson Racing.
“That’s exactly what this job is. I’m genuinely curious, so I want to understand these things so I can support the team when they come to me and say they need something. I need to understand why they need it.”
Team & Manufacturer News
How Will Honda’s Corporate Loss Affect Their F1 Program?
- After Honda’s first annual loss in 70 years, what does it mean for its F1 project? (Autosport)
- BWT Alpine Formula One Team bolsters technical leadership team with Jason Somerville appointment (Alpine)
- McLaren’s Hypercar project gains momentum (RACER)
- How GM tech accelerated Cadillac’s F1 entry (Autosport)
- Penalized teams deny intent to gain edge in Indy 500 qualifying (ESPN)
- Business Profile: Cope Race Cars (PRI)
- Tatuus Celebrates the 500th T-421, the World’s Most Widely Used Formula 4 Car (Tatuus)
- Red Bull outlines timeline for new F1 wind tunnel (Autosport)
- Innovation Racing Eye GT4 Crown & Le Mans Dream (Daily Sportscar)
- Williams signs key leaders from McLaren, Mercedes, Alpine (Autosport)
Motorsport Movers & Shakers
Volker Capito: From Dakar Winner to Saudi Arabia’s Problem Solver
Gulf Motorsport Business provides an exclusive insight into the life and work of Volker Capito, a motorsport mainstay, dedicated philanthropist, and a driving force in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
“Nowadays, Volker is a leader in large-scale motorsport event management and logistics. He’s worked on events around the globe, including the Race of Champions (which took place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh in 2018) – and he’s famously competed in many motorsport events too, most notably the Paris-Dakar Rally.”
Read the full profile here: https://gulfmotorsportbusiness.substack.com/p/insight-from-dakar-winner-to-saudi
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.
