Formula 1’s big reveal was held this week. Called F1 75, it featured all the teams and drivers appearing together to reveal their 2025 liveries and I have the reactions in this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup. I also have the good news for NASCAR from last weekend’s Daytona 500, the corporate mega-deals that could affect how you watch motorcycle racing, and all the latest sponsorship deals and partnerships.
Motorsport Industry News
Formula 1
Formula 1 held there much anticipated F1 75 launch this week where all 10 teams revealed their 2025 liveries on the same stage. As can be imagined, some thought it was great while others thought it cringe-worthy. Here is a roundup of some of the coverage.
- Ben Hunt: F175 wasn’t for the purist but the gamble paid off (Autosport)
- F1’s big pre-season bash hit the mark – mostly (RACER)
- FIA, Max Verstappen booed during F1 75 season launch (SpeedCafe)
- First Look: All 10 F1 Teams Reveal 2025 Liveries in London (Autoweek)
- Beyond the liveries: What we learned from F1’s 2025 launch day (The Race)
Williams Racing Formula 1 team principal James Vowles believes that his company’s recently announced partnership with Australian AI software giant Atlassian is a clear indication of the current strength of the sport.
“If you look at Atlassian, they already sponsor other organizations,” he said when asked Adam Cooper what the deal said about the sport. “For me, F1 is in the best health it’s ever been. We have an F1 film coming out that is I think going to be excellent. We have Netflix that’s still growing year-on-year and not shrinking.”
Read more here.
ESPN’s aid in boosting Formula 1’s popularity in the U.S. may have cost the network the sport’s long term media rights. “There was [competition] the last time around, and it’s kind of the downside of doing what we do really well and bringing a larger audience to these events and the success we’ve added,” John Suchenski, ESPN’s director of programming and acquisitions, told FOS. “Unfortunately, the nature of the business is to create more demand and more competition.” Read more at Front Office Sports.
As you have read in recent Business of Motorsport Roundups, Africa is in play for an F1 race in the future with South Africa and Rwanda the leading candidate countries. Motorsport Prospects contributor Maja Czarzasty-Zybert does a comprehensive look at the past, present and future of motorsport in Africa. You can read it here.
General Motorsport Industry News
Despite a rain delay, last weekend’s Daytona 500 saw Fox draw 6.8 million viewers on Sunday, which is up 13% from last year, when rain forced the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series race to run on a Monday (just under 6 million for that). Sports Business Journal reports that the race number excludes close to 3 hours, 30 minutes of rain delays — and that period alone drew 5 million viewers, which was bigger than the weekend’s NBA All-Star Game (4.7 million) and the U.S.-Canada game in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Sunday (4.4 million).
Sports Business Journal also reports that Fox Sports ran the entire Daytona 500 on Sunday with zero full-screen ads during green-flag racing action for what appears to be the first time in its history, a move that largely drew praise from viewers.
In addition, Fox Sports sold out of ads for Sunday’s Daytona 500 at a record pace, with the network leveraging a hot market and its broadcast of Super Bowl LIV to help reach the mark, according to people familiar with the matter.
In my final bit of NASCAR news, Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, told a small group of reporters last Saturday that they would be watching and talking to the NFL about the date of the league’s biggest game.
“We’re keeping tabs on it, for sure,” Kennedy said. “(And) having a lot of conversations with our partners, have a couple of conversations with the NFL as well. We’re going to be talking about next year’s date this weekend and (there are) not really any big changes, which I think is going to be helpful. But long term, it is something that we’re mindful of because we don’t want to go up against the Super Bowl.”
Motor Sport Magazine looks at the three corporate mega deals that could have a big effect on your enjoyment of MotoGP and World and British Superbikes this year and beyond.
“There are laws against monopolies, because monopolies are bad for consumers. Once a company gains overall control of any area of business it can use its dominant market position to manipulate prices, because consumers effectively have nowhere else to spend their money.”
Read the complete article by Mat Oxley here.
RACER reports that a robust list of international partners, including new media and broadcast relationships, will bring the NTT IndyCar Series to audiences in more than 200 countries and territories.
“The continued growth and appeal of the NTT IndyCar Series is reflected in this expansion of our international partners and coverage offerings for the most competitive racing series on the planet,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles. “A total of 11 nations will be represented among the full-time 27-driver lineup this season, making reach and availability more important than ever for our fans. It is gratifying to see this impactful list of new and renewed partners as the NTT IndyCar Series reaches larger audiences around the globe.”
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
- How Larrousse’s demise 30 years ago foreshadowed dwindling French F1 involvement (Autosport Plus)
- How F1 Teams Use Data to Scout Drivers (Business of Speed)
- A driver-promoting feeder formula could inject F1 with a rich stream of talent (Goodwood Road & Racing)
- Why athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Max Verstappen are buying new private jets (Huddle Up)
- How the British Rally Championship continues to build momentum after spell in the doldrums (Autosport)
- Perth council opposes ‘shock’ Supercars plan for a street race at Burswood Park (SpeedCafe)
- FIA launches new motorsport medicine e-learning modules (PMW)
- Octagon appoints Camilla Hessey as head of motorsports in Europe (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Mercedes-Benz flags cost cuts, tough year ahead after torrid 2024 (Yahoo Finance)
- The Myth of Free-To-Air TV Being the Key to Sport Coverage Success (Alan Dove)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
The Chevrolet Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype was introduced at last weekend’s Daytona 500 as pace car with impressive performance and technology in a world where V8s rule. This is just one of the stories covered in this week’s edition of the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have sustainable motorsport news from Ferrari and Alpine, a look at the sustainability strategy of the World Rally Championship and more.
Motorsport Law Roundup
A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week
For those wondering about enforcement of the new ban on driver swearing by the FIA as per the updated appendix B of the International Sporting Code, Ben Hunt of Autosport has found a loophole. As per an FIA statement in response to an incident of foul language by Dan Ticktum in a recent Formula E race, “The stewards have been made aware and decided that no further action was needed as this happened in the context of a radio communication with the team and not during a media interview.”
Michael Schumacher’s wife Corinna has confirmed an appeal has been lodged against the “lenient” punishment given to former family bodyguard Markus Fritsche.
“We have appealed against what we consider to be the far too lenient sentence for Mr F,” a statement from a representative for Corinna and the Schumacher family confirmed to PlanetF1.com. “In my opinion, he was the mastermind behind this. What still shocks me most is the massive breach of trust. He should receive a punishment that deters any potential copycats.”
We all know that law school is a grind. Now imagine going to law school while trying to build a racing career. That is what law student Farah Irdina is doing and she discusses the complexities and challenges of balancing her legal studies with her racing career in Motorsport Prospects. You can read her thoughts here.
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
Here are the latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week
- Global tech firm Arm signs first sports partnership with Aston Martin F1 (Sports Business Journal)
- Aston Martin Aramco announces partnership with Coinbase, paid entirely in cryptocurrency (Aston Martin F1)
- Aston Martin F1 elevates Maaden partnership (SIG)
- Aston Martin F1 expands AI partnership with ServiceNow (SIG)
- BWT Alpine Formula One Team announces partnership with Mercado Libre (Alpine)
- Snaptron Extends Partnership with Sabré Cook for the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Season (Sabré Cook)
- NASCAR kicks off 2025 season with 51 official sponsors (Sports Business Journal)
- BWT Alpine Formula One Team brings on board MSC Cruises as a Premium Partner (Alpine)
- LVMH’s New Push: World’s Most Powerful Luxury Group Is Coming for Sports (Front Office Sports)
- Middy’s scales back Supercars sponsorship (SpeedCafe)
- Atlassian Williams Racing Welcomes Super Group as Official Partner (Williams F1)
- Scuderia Ferrari HP Announces Ambipar As Team Partner (Ferrari)
- Audi agrees three-year sponsorship deal with Sky Sports F1 (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Richard Childress Racing to crystallize blue-collar ethos, history with new brand strategy (Sports Business Journal)
- Formula 1 Driver Pierre Gasly Fronts Gentleman Givenchy Franchise (WWD)
- Piastri partners with Aussie burger chain Grill’d (SpeedCafe)
- McLaren have likely generated ‘most commercial revenue’ in F1 history, says Zak Brown (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Octopode Life & Legacy Sponsors Ethan Goulart in the 2025 Toyota GR Cup Series (GR Cup)
- Xfinity 23XI Racing Extend Partnership, Create Xfinity Speed Center (Forbes)
- Movedot Joins Forces with HMD Motorsports to Revolutionize Racing Performance (RTD Media)
- Red Bull Racing extends with Hexagon (SIG)
- Yokohama Tire named official tire of new Mustang Cup series (PMW)
- Falken Increases Nordschleife Investment, Corner To Bear Its Name (Daily Sportscar)
- KW Suspensions Named Official Suspension Partner for SRO Motorsports America (GT World Challenge America)
- Visa CashApp Red Bulls Are Getting The Job Done With Airtasker Partnership (Visa CashApp)
- Marlboro in Formula 1: King size allies (Motor Sport Magazine)
- Maximizing Partnership Value, Atlassian Williams Style (Sponcon Sports)
The Business of Running a Race Team
After urgent changes brought by team boss James Vowles ahead of F1 2024 caused last year’s Williams to be built late and heavy, Autosport explains how things now being “night and day different” led to last Friday’s glitzy 2025 campaign launch.
Goodbye 20,000-cell Excel spreadsheet: How Williams’ new F1 car build system works (Autosport)
Team & Manufacturer News
Here is a roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport
- All-Kiwi team returns for GT World Challenge Australia revenge (SpeedCafe)
- Australian Aston Martin team Volante Rosso Motorsport poised to expand GT3 program (SpeedCafe)
- ACI Motorsports Sets Six-Car Porsche North America Carrera Cup Lineup (Sportscar365)
- Ferrari Outlines Factory Driver Programs for 2025 Season (Sportscar365)
- Barwell Motorsport Reveals World Challenge Europe Silver Line-Up (Daily Sportscar)
- Former Manufacturer Dodge Expected to Return to NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2026 (Catchfence)
- Alex Albon: Williams infrastructure improvements “will only help” from 2026 F1 season (Pit Debrief)
- Trackhouse, Pitbull announce split (RACER)
- APR, Manthey Secure Final Le Mans Auto-Invites (Sportscar365)
- Brown hails unrivalled F1 commercial success story at McLaren (Autosport)
- PONOS Racing Announces SUPER GT & SRO Programs (Daily Sportscar)
- Dome Motorsport Unveils Mercedes-AMG GT4 Livery (Sportscar365)
- Black Wolf Mercedes-AMG Returns to GT World Challenge Australia for Am Campaign (Sportscar365)
- AF Corse Announces Expanded GTWC Europe Program (Daily Sportscar)
- Panis Racing Strengthens Ties With VDS, Reveals ELMS Driver Crews (Daily Sportscar)
- GM vows bigger and better post-Triple Eight era (V8 Sleuth)
- Hendrick Motorsports Expands Xfinity Series Schedule In 2025 (Forbes)
- Grenier, Stephens To Lead JMF Motorsports’ First GTWC America Campaign (Daily Sportscar)
- Williams and Atlassian: An underdog story we can all get on board with (Sustainability Huddle)
- Toto Wolff denies rumours of split between Mercedes and F1 shareholder INEOS (Motorsport Week)
Motorsport Movers & Shakers
Click on the image above as Toto Wolff reflects on Crafting a Team and a Legacy.
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.
