Formula 1 has revealed impressive growth statistics for the series and this week’s second Business of Motorsport Roundup has the numbers. I also have details on NASCAR’s race on a naval base, Tim Mayer’s “impact manifesto” and how Motor racing dominates automotive sponsorship spend across the Americas in 2025, according to new data.

Motorsport Industry News

Formula 1

Formula 1 finally breaks America after years of failed attempts reports Motorsport Week. “Previous managements have failed at bringing the sport back to America, but current owners, Liberty Media Corporation, have done what many would’ve deemed impossible. They changed the way the sport was presented and made it more fan friendly.”

Formula 1 is in the process of revising sporting regulations to restrict A/B teams, such as Red Bull and Racing Bulls, from colluding where one can assist the other during the course of a Grand Prix. The Race reporting that there will be a revision of its ‘operational regulations’, which could mean a rewrite of Section F, in order to curb the deployment of teams such as Red Bull and Racing Bulls working together.

Ruth Buscombe has revealed some impressive F1 stats after the recent Formula 1 commission meeting that reveal the growth of the series.

2026 regs still in progress — final alignment on chassis + PU due end of July
FIA reviewing protest + appeal fees — possible new fee for investigations

Off-track, the sport continues to surge:

827 million global fans
52 million in the US alone (+11%)
43% under 35
42% women
106M social media followers (up from 18M in 2018)
F1 Movie already making an impact — helping bring new fans into the fold
Commercial momentum strong — new partners, big renewals, long-term race deals
Strategy, spectacle, and serious scale.
F1’s not just racing — it’s growing.

Adam Minter explains how F1’s growing pains with Apple TV+ would be worth it. “F1 will almost certainly lose viewers, too, if it shifts to Apple TV+. But for the tech giant and the sport, the sacrifice is poised to pay off in the long term.”

“Investors seeking high returns on capital should look no further than Liberty Formula 1, according to Goldman Sachs according to CNBC Pro. “High quality, execution based growth story with potential for outsized capital returns. We believe that Liberty Formula One, through its ownership of both Formula 1 and MotoGP racing leagues, offers investors a high quality way to gain exposure to the long-term secular growth trends in sports media as well as what we believe will become a strong capital returns story within media & entertainment.”

General Motorsport Industry News

FIA presidential candidate Tim Mayer has published the first element of his campaign manifesto, promising to ‘restore democracy in the FIA’, although key names are still missing from his support team. Here is the latest.

FIA presidential candidate Mayer reveals ‘impact manifesto’ (Autosport)
Mayer adds to criticism of FIA amid ‘terrible erosion of governance’ (F1i)
Mayer Aiming to Bring “Forward-Looking” Change to FIA (Sportscar365)
Tim Mayer’s Campaign For FIA President Gathers Momentum (Daiky Sportscar)

Meanwhile, The Race confronts current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and judges him on his record. “As he often does in moments when he is targeted, he is robust when it comes to explaining his perspective. And this includes a habit of throwing back questions the other way.”

After nearly three decades, MotoGP will return to Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires and a renovated racetrack in 2027, with local authorities hoping it will help bring Formula 1 back as well.

“Buenos Aires used to be the capital of motorsports and motorcycling in the region, and today it begins to regain that status,” Mayor Jorge Macri said Monday while making the announcement at the Óscar and Juan Gálvez racetrack. “But we’re going for more: this is the first step toward applying again to host Formula 1,” he added.

Meanwhile, Motegi remains on the MotoGP calendar through 2030 while Brazil replaces Argentina as the 2026 calendar has been revealed.

In other MotoGP news, MotoGP’s manufacturers have come together with the collective aim of securing a new framework from promoter Dorna and getting a larger share of income from the championship’s commercial rights.

“According to information obtained by Autosport, the five constructors held a meeting last weekend at the Czech Grand Prix. They signed a commitment document and appointed Lin Jarvis – former Yamaha director and currently still acting as an advisor – as their spokesperson and representative.”

NASCAR will take all three of its national series to San Diego next year with a street race on the Naval Base Coronado. The inaugural event, announced on Wednesday, will take place from June 19 to 21, 2026. It will be the first time a NASCAR event has run on an active military base, the second street course event in Cup Series history, and also help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy. The course layout will be announced at a later date.

RACER reports that NASCAR putting on a race at a naval base had been a thought for quite some time before being put on the 2026 schedule, according to NASCAR’s Ben Kennedy. “We have a scheduling team that meets on a regular basis and we’re constantly evaluating our current schedule and thinking bold, and frankly, aggressively about where we want to take events in the future,” said Kennedy, NASCAR EVP, chief venue and racing innovation officer. “One of the ideas that we had several years ago was to race on a military base, and we’ve had a number of conversations with bases across the country. We also wanted to find a way to have a presence back in the Southern California market.”

With the move to Southern California, the Chicago Street Race will not be on the NASCAR schedule in 2026, marking a pause in the three-year experiment that brought stock car racing to the heart of a major U.S. city. The decision, announced Friday, leaves open the possibility of a return in 2027—contingent on revised logistics, timing, and financial terms acceptable to NASCAR and the City of Chicago.

Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week

What’s really going on with F1’s under-fire 2026 rules (The Race)
How the new engine formula coming in 2026 will change F1 (Motorsport Week)
Hypercar boom future rests on a big rules decision (The Race)
Who Needs Skiing? You Can Now Buy Your Own Race Track in Aspen (Robb Report)
Predictions and suggestions for F1’s future circuit trends, inspired by years past (Autosport Plus)
Will Hypercar Take Off In The Asian Le Mans Series? (Daily Sportscar)
Racing Force Group: Growth Expectations Confirmed. Revenues up by +10.8% in the second quarter (PR)

Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup

Formula 1 is confident in achieving its net zero goals by 2030 and this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup will bring you up to speed on their progress so far. I also have news on sustainability in MotoGP, how the new Porsche 911 Cup car will use synthetic fuel and an EV that accelerates from 0–60 mph in 1.38 seconds.

The Numbers

Motorsports viewership from last weekend according to Adam Stern:
1) NASCAR Cup (TNT + TruTV): 2.009 million viewers
2) NASCAR Xfinity (The CW Network): 1.047 million
3) Pro Motocross (NBC + Peacock): 926,000
4) IndyCar (FOX Sports): 734,000
5) NHRA (Fox): 673,000
6) High Limit Sprint Car Series (FS1 + FloSports): 387,417
7) ARCA (FS1): 132,000

Motocross split was 776,000 on NBC + 150,000 on Peacock.
High Limit split was 239,000 on FS1 + 148,417 on FloRacing.
The 153rd Open Championship golf event led into motocross.
NASCAR figures do not include streaming.

NASCAR edges 2m viewers on TNT after rain delays in Dover (BlackBook Motorsport)
Toronto maintains 700k+ viewership for IndyCar on FOX (RACER)

Motorsport Law Roundup

A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week

Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports Ford; Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota

RACER reports that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will be heard in court on Aug. 28 over the new preliminary injunction they are seeking to race as charter teams in the NASCAR Cup Series. “NASCAR represents it will not effectuate any sale or transfer or otherwise convey in any manner the six 2025 Charters offered to the Plaintiffs or purchased until the court rules on the Motion for Preliminary Injunction,” and that “NASCAR represents that Plaintiffs’ six race cars will qualify for all Cup Series races (if they choose to race) similarly until the Court rules on the Motion.”

RACER also reports that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports no longer appear in danger of missing a NASCAR Cup Series race this season as NASCAR has added a rule about Open teams making the field based on owner standings.

Formula 1 teams and the FIA are to discuss increasing deposit fees for protests and similar appeals to stop frivolous complaints in the future. “It was agreed that the deposit fees for protests, appeals and right of reviews should be evaluated with a view to those fees being adjusted. The introduction of a fee for investigations was also discussed.”

Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis

The latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week

How Aston Martin are building a modern sponsorship model in F1 (BlackBook Motorsport)
Formula E unites with Marvel for Fantastic Four London E-Prix (Formula E)
McLaren Racing announces Freshworks as an Official Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team (PR)
Motor racing dominates automotive sponsorship spend across the Americas in 2025, according to new data (Business Matters)
Native Colombian Driver Lands Sponsorship from Automation Material Handling Company (PR)

Team & Manufacturer News

A roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport

Expansion options considered for Cusick Motorsports (RACER)
New Racing Bulls boss Permane ‘shocked and proud’ as he takes up challenge (Autosport)
Farewell to the man who revived Jaguar in motorsport (The Race)
Alpine Plotting A424 Aero Overhaul for 2026 (Sportscar365)
Genesis completes first fire-up of Hypercar engine ahead of WEC 2026 (Autosport)
Arrow McLaren begins expansion of new Indianapolis shop (RACER)
Esses Racing to Cease Operations (Sportscar365)

Motorsport Movers & Shakers

There’s something to be said for how Zak Brown is able to successfully orchestrate an entire multi-series organization. As McLaren Racing CEO, he is ultimately responsible for all of the teams under its papaya-coloured umbrella. From Formula 1 and the IndyCar Series to the World Endurance Championship, Brown has high hopes for his motorsport empire. Talking to TSN via Motorsport.com, he explains how he manages to keep it operating at a championship-winning level.

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.