IMSA is attracting new manufacturers and fans as it launches its 2025 season and in this week’s Business of Motorsport you will get an idea of why the positive momentum is continuing. I also have details on three bids for a South African Grand Prix, the latest sponsorship deals and partnership news and get ready for another round of Ford vs Ferrari!
Motorsport Industry News
Formula 1
Last week I mentioned that South Africa had officially launched a bid for a Formula 1 race and this week the South African government extended the deadline for bids. The Race details what are now understood to be three different bids within the country, the race at Kyalami which appears to be the favourite and two bids from Cape Town. You can read more about the bids here.
Autosport reports that Madrid’s mayor has insisted that the work to host a Formula 1 race in the Spanish capital is progressing “as planned” ahead of its debut in 2026. “Martinez-Almeida said all the parties involved are working “very intensely to be able to make it a reality” and that everything was moving forward “as planned”.”
The Las Vegas Grand Prix has won the Promoter of the Year award at the recent Autosport Awards.
Speaking on the ‘Fan Power’ panel at the Autosport Business Exchange: London, F1 director of marketing Donna Birkett Baida explained how constant communication with a fanbase is key.
“We think about how we engage with fans, it’s about everything from these big, magical moments and all the way through to ensuring that we are connecting with our fans day in, day out. That’s certainly both race weekend as well as all of the experiences and the content and such that we can create outside of that.”
Alan Dove reports that there is a brain drain in F1 as talented engineers are leaving for higher paying jobs in the WEC and elsewhere.
Although I am sure that the dropping of Johnny Herbert as a steward is not related, the FIA have insisted that their new officials department will lead to a “more professional” governing body in the future.
“Speaking exclusively to Autosport, FIA’s single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis claimed the body’s new officials department will eventually lead to a “more professional body” in the future rather than predominantly relying on volunteers, which will provide more scope to analyze matters away from race weekends.”
I mentioned last week the controversial changes to the FIA sporting code that are now in effect will cause issues for the drivers if they swear or otherwise malign the sport and its regulator. Here are some articles that explain what the fuss is all about.
- Controversial FIA swearing ban explained (SpeedCafe)
- How might mischievous F1 drivers defy race ban for swearing? (Motorsport Magazine)
- Latest FIA changes could increase animosity between F1 drivers and the governing body (Autosport)
General Motorsport Industry News
After a successful Rolex 24, IMSA is hitting the ground running with continuing positive momentum continuing from 2024. As the “golden age” of sportscar racing continues, new manufacturers are looking to join the series in the near future (see Team & Manufacturer News below).
While the increase in manufacturers and teams is creating some space issues, it is also attracting more fans so its a net positive overall. Here are a few articles that reflect on where the series is heading.
- Doonan: Manufacturers ‘Have Voted for Participation’ in IMSA (Sportscar365)
- IMSA is attracting more manufacturers, and in turn, more fans (ESPN)
- Increase in IMSA Popularity with OEMs Creates Space Problem for Series (AutoWeek)
- IMSA YouTube channel exceeds 2 million live views during 63rd Rolex 24 (RACER)
As NASCAR prepares for their flagship Daytona 500, BlackBook Motorsport breaks down the data from their TV, sponsorship and social media to see what lies ahead for the series in 2025.
“This sets the scene for what could be a tumultuous year for the stock car racing series at a time when it’s in need of certainty. Sponsors – both current and potential – will be nervous of the ramifications of both the lawsuit and NASCAR new media rights deal that covers four different broadcasters.”
Read their full analysis here.
Meanwhile, NASCAR officials insist that they are not concerned by car manufacturers like Ford and GM getting involved in Formula 1 as reported by Sports Business Journal.
While NASCAR has shown its own growth as a brand in recent years, it’s also having to contend with F1’s rising popularity. Since the pandemic, Ford, Chevy parent company GM and Toyota have all announced plans in F1. Asked by SBJ recently about whether he was confident that the OEMs’ investments into F1 wouldn’t affect their investments into NASCAR, NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell responded, “When you look at the value that NASCAR provides, and the racing product we put on track, I’m confident that that will continue to deliver for them.”
Read more at Sports Business Journal here.
In IndyCar news, AutoWeek breaks down the five biggest offseason moves in the series as it heads into 2025. “A renewed wave of energy and excitement washed over drivers as they gathered at Indianapolis in mid-January for preseason media tasks, thanks in large part to the evidence that new broadcast partner FOX will be promoting the series in an aggressive way.” You can read what the five moves are here.
SpeedCafe reports that the South Australian Motorsport Board is open to hosting IndyCar on the Adelaide street circuit, but not necessarily on the same weekend as Supercars.
“We look at all sorts of things in terms of motorsport options,” SAMB chief executive Mark Warren told Speedcafe. “IndyCar is a really interesting one in that it’s obviously got a history in Australia, having been up on the Gold Coast previously. So if that was an opportunity for Adelaide to look at doing something with IndyCar, we’d definitely look at it. We’d need to work out how that fits with Supercars,” he added.
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
- “Zero grandstands” Qiddiya Speed Park aiming to redefine fan experience (Autosport)
- Giannone named CEO of Parella Motorsports Holdings (RACER)
- Sergio Aguero and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham to race in celebrity Formula E event (Motorsport Week)
- LeBron James joins E1 as latest team owner (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Motorsports and Rockets: An unlikely but stellar combination (Grassroots Motorsports)
- Thefts mar tradition of souvenir hunting at Rolex 24 (RACER)
- Earnhardt merch still selling as Jr., Sr. in Top 15 (Sports Business Journal)
- Making sense of sport’s value proposition (SIG)
- Women in Motorsports North America Helps Women (and Men) Get on Career Fast Track (AutoWeek)
- Women in Motorsports North America Announces Women with Drive V – Driven by Mobil 1 (Drag Illustrated)
- FIA marks International Women’s Sports Day at influential Monaco event celebrating women in motorsport
- Eurosport To Be Replaced By TNT In The UK As Warner Bros. Discovery Shakes Up Sports Portfolio (Deadline)
- How NASCAR Found Its Way to Bowman Gray Stadium (AutoWeek)
- SRO turns 30! (SRO Motorsports Group)
- Exploring the Thrills of the Autosport International Expo 2025 (Pitlane News)
- Fox Sports Films and NASCAR Studios team up for two new original documentaries to start the 2025 season (Jayski)
- Queensland Raceway expansion works revealed (SpeedCafe)
- African American Automotive Association (AAAA) Announces Partnership with Superlap to Bring its STEAM-Based Curriculum to Detroit Youth (AAAA)
- F1’s Rosberg Backs an AI Startup Making ‘Stupid’ Robots Smart (Bloomberg)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
The MissionH24 H24EVO prototype has switched to liquid hydrogen storage ahead of its 2026 debut and in this edition of the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup you will find out why. I also have details on the revolutionary Waste2Race Le Mans Prototype, what NASCAR plans for their EV in 2025 and much more!
The Numbers
Blinkfire Analytics looks at the impact that Lewis Hamilton has already had at Ferrari after only one week. “With eyes set on reclaiming championship glory, Ferrari is ready to harness Hamilton’s unparalleled experience and talent. The top two posts welcoming Hamilton received over 3.6 million engagements!”
Motorsport Law Roundup
A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week
Law360 reports that a North Carolina federal court has appointed an attorney with nearly four decades of experience at Proskauer Rose LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP to mediate the antitrust feud between NASCAR and 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
As I mentioned in last week’s Motorsport Law Roundup, the authority of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)is under debate. Inside the Games is the latest to chime in.
“Although CAS decisions are binding, they can rarely be appealed to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, as happened with the doping suspension of swimmer Sun Yang in 2021. However, Switzerland is not part of the European Union nor under the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union, limiting the scope of these appeals.”
Read more of their analysis here.
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
Here are the latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week
- Singapore Airlines Dominates Motorsport Sponsorship Investment In Asia With Recent F1 Renewal (Asia Sponsorship News)
- McLAREN Racing announces Okta as an Official Partner of the McLAREN Formula 1 Team (McLaren)
- Joe Gibbs Racing and Lance Announce Partnership to Kick-start New NASCAR Season (Speedway Digest)
- Yokohama to be tire supplier for Scottish Fiesta ST Cup (PMW)
- Louis Vuitton officially joins F1 as part of LVMH deal (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Louis Vuitton becomes Australian Grand Prix’s title sponsor (Autosport)
- At Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton is undergoing a menswear vibe shift (GQ)
- Spike Kohlbecker Named First Brand Ambassador For Shiver Shield (RTD Media)
- Why is tech investing in sports sponsorship? Google it. (iSportConnect)
- Adidas announces OMP as Official Racewear Supplier (Racing Force Group)
- National Debt Relief to back Hamlin for four races (RACER)
- F1 deal puts Tag Heuer on track for watchmaking big league (Financial Times)
- Red Bull add Maui Jim as F1 eyewear sponsor (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Alpine becomes Pramac’s main partner in MotoGP (Autosport)
- United Autosports and Clearroute partner for the Rolex 24 (United Autosports)
The Business of Running a Race Team
AS Motorsport have yet to score a point in Italian Formula 4 since their debut in 2018, but the small Slovenian squad aims to open a new chapter in their history in 2025. Feeder Series talked to team principal Andrej Slak to learn more about the outfit’s future.
“The passion for racing is stronger than everything,” Andrej Slak answers when asked why he and his team continue to fight every Italian F4 race weekend since 2018 despite not scoring a single top-10 finish in a 30- to 40-car field. “Motorsport is not only about podiums, trophies. It’s a journey. To see our drivers progress, improve and sometimes even fight the best, it’s an enormous satisfaction.”
Read the full profile here.
Team & Manufacturer News
Here is a roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport
- Ford confirms prototype program (RACER)
- IMSA’s GTP class set to keep growing (RACER)
- Ford and McLaren are heading to Hypercars – but not together (The Race)
- Prototype effort wouldn’t come at the expense of other programs, McLaren says (RACER)
- United Autosports Hypercar venture ‘not a case of if, more a case of when’ (Motorsport Week)
- How Pfaff put the plaid into Lamborghini (RACER)
- Stefan Pierer steps aside as KTM chief ahead of crucial court hearing (Autosport)
- KTM creditors file claims of €2.2 billion in court hearing (Autosport)
- KTM’s survival prospects improve with €900 million investment from external parties (Motorsport Week)
- KTM already working on 2027 MotoGP rules as it reaffirms long-term plan (Autosport)
- How Porsche Penske Motorsport prepares for the classic in Daytona (Porsche)
- Manthey expands to third Porsche in DTM 2025 as Schuring joins (Autosport)
- INEOS issue statement on Mercedes’ partnership as portfolio review begins (Planet F1)
- 111 Racing Withdraws From Bathurst 12 Hour (Daily Sportscar)
- Johnson becomes majority owner of Legacy Motor Club (RACER)
- Radical Motorsport’s Milestone 3,000th Car Achievement (Radical Motorsport)
- Johnson looking to expand Legacy Motor Club’s footprint beyond NASCAR (RACER)
- Johnson becomes majority owner of Legacy Motor Club (RACER)
- Why Toyota is perfecting the rally to road relationship. PMW speaks to Jari-Matti Latvala (PMW)
- LM Corsa Shakes Down New Lexus LC 500 GT (Daily Sportscar)
- PREMA starts strong in first IndyCar test (RACER)
- Eurasia Motorsport to undertake TCR test at Sepang (Eurasia Motorsport)
- Kellymoss forms alliance with Riley Motorsports (RACER)
- How to stand out in IMSA? AO Racing has Rexy and Spike (Grassroots Motorsports)
- How Haas arrived at an F1 budget milestone in 2025 (Autosport)
- Haas expansion crucial for avoiding staff ‘breakdown’ – Komatsu (RACER)
- Enstone veteran Genon joins Haas to run Toyota project (Adam Cooper)
- Lamborghini Seeking Customers for 2026 LMDh Program (Sportscar365)
- Honda makes startling F1 confession: ‘We are struggling’ (SpeedCafe)
- Lola supremo says Formula E entry was ‘no-brainer’ (Motorsport Week)
- Triple Eight defects back to Ford in Supercars bombshell (V8 Sleuth)
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.
