IndyCar has announced a charter system, and its effects are already being felt. Details are in this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup. I also have news on why the MotoGP Indian Grand Prix is not on the schedule for 2025, the latest motorsport sponsorship deals and partnerships and a roundup of the latest motorsport legal news plus much more.
Motorsport Industry News
IndyCar
In a major move that solidifies the business of IndyCar racing for its teams, the IndyCar Series officially announced a Charter System that begins in 2025 and extends through 2031. Ten IndyCar Series owners have been awarded 25 Charters competing in North America’s premier open wheel racing series, beginning immediately.
“This is an important development that demonstrates an aligned and optimistic vision for the future of our sport,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “I want to extend my sincere appreciation to our team owners for their collaboration and ideation throughout this process. Ultimately, we’re pleased to have a system in place that provides greater value for our ownership and the entries they field.”
Already the impact of the new charters are being felt as Ed Carpenter racing has announced that Ted Gelov, the owner of Heartland Food Products Group, is now a co-owner of the Ed Carpenter Racing NTT IndyCar Series team. “IndyCar is growing and attracting high caliber brands and in Ted’s case, also a strong business partner for our team,” Ed Carpenter said of the Indiana-based Gelov and his home state company. “Ted will help us to continue to strive for excellence both on and off the track.
And the impact extends beyond the series into the junior ranks. RACER looks at how Indy NXT racer James Roe is taking an unconventional approach to attracting investors to fund his future IndyCar racing career. He is working a group of investors who want to connect with a team to buy into Roe’s future entry, infusing capital into the team for a stake in that entry’s charter, and bringing traditional sponsorship to the team through other supporters. “As a result of the charter system announcements, there’s been a mix of Irish and American investors reach out who are interest in supporting me through the charter system,” he said. “And I think that’s the beauty of where the sport’s going. It creates a lot of opportunity for those that can deliver a real business offer to teams. It’s a very different lens to look through.”
The Charter system guarantees entry to all Indycar races except for the Indy 500. “Somehow, IndyCar has got the teams to agree to leave guaranteed starting spots for the Indy 500 off the initial charter agreement to get this over the line. In most cases, this is presumably because it was worth it to get the system in place to put a value on a team’s entries.”
General Motorsport Industry News
Phil Branagan at Autosport explains how the impending arrival of Toyota in Supercars in 2026 has been a long time in coming. And it will have significant repercussions for current championship stakeholders. “Credit where credit is due. If the new Gen3 platform is performing in some ways below expectations – parity and cost to name two still-problematic areas – Supercars deserves credit for creating a framework that finally hooked Toyota.”
Interestingly, the decision to enter Supercars came out of a casual conversation 18 months ago that snowballed into a commitment from the Japanese brand to enter Supercars.
With Toyota joining the series, the deal has elevated the interest of Supercars into being part of the Singapore Grand Prix grid, despite the fact they are still managing complications for doing the same with the Australian Grand Prix. “We have got a number of stakeholders that we will be talking to at the event,” Supercars chairman Barclay Nettlefold, CEO Shane Howard told News Corp before the Singapore Grand Prix. “We would like to foster that opportunity. It would be fantastic, it’s an amazing event. If we could be there, particularly with Toyota coming in and with GM and Ford, I think we could put on a hell of a show.”
Despite these plans, the series has inked new deals for the Townsville 500 and Gold Coast 500 through to 2027.
MotoGP has announced a 22 race 2025 calendar and has confirmed the rumors that there will be no Indian Grand Prix next year. “India is a hugely important market for MotoGP and for the motorcycle industry. We have an agreement with the region of Uttar Pradesh, but unfortunately with the deadlines to publish the calendar it wasn’t possible for us to meet all of those deadlines in terms of selecting a promoter and getting the upgrades to the circuit done,” Dorna Sports’ Carlos Ezpeleta said. “So we agreed it was the best way forward to have a year and a half to prepare for the event. We continue to think there is tremendous potential but we have agreed the best way forward is to postpone it.”
Simon Patterson of The Race feels like this is less of a delay and instead it is looking very unlikely that MotoGP will ever return to Buddh. “However, with two cancellations in two years and a turbulent domestic political situation that has featured former promoter Fairstreet Sports being removed from its role and the initial tender to replace it being cancelled and reissued, it’s now looking very unlikely that MotoGP will ever return to Buddh despite the importance of the Indian motorcycling market to the series’ manufacturers.”
Front Office Sports explains how an uncapped driver salary market in Formula 1 could mean a big pay day for drivers down the road as team valuations soar. “These back-and-forths between team principals help identify who the most valuable drivers are—and competition can boost the prices. Market changes for certain value positions have been clear in other sports like the NFL, where quarterbacks, pass rushers, and receivers are being paid more than ever. But in an uncapped market, the potential for F1’s top drivers appears boundless.”
It’s common for challenger sports properties to claim that they’re the fastest-growing organization in their discipline, but Nitrocross general manager Chip Pankow says the evidence sets the all-action series apart. He talks to BlackBook Motorsport about what makes the organization’s racing format different from traditional rallycross, its UFC crossovers, and how the series attracts blue-chip brands.
“Its USP is there’s nothing that’s too close to it. The idea of Nitrocross grew out of rallycross, but the tracks are bigger, the jumps are bigger, the cars are faster.”
The FIA technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon has offered an update to Autosport on plans to increase manufacturer interest in the World Rally Championship.
“Time is running but again today, OK we are not in advance, but we are not too late also. For me, there is much pressure to deliver a good regulation and something that will make sense for the future of the World Rally Championship,” said Mestelan Pinon. “We are not too late and the most important thing for me is to attract newcomers even if the newcomer will take the decision for 2028 instead 2027, I don’t care. What is important is to give the right direction and right vision.”
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
Formula 1 and DHL have cut emissions by 80% using sustainable aviation fuel and in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup I have the details. I also look at the impact of fossil fuel advertising in motorsport, Formula E’s activities during New York City’s Climate Week and how a golf tour is reducing GHG emissions caused by the travel of its players. You can read it here.
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
- Friends of Laguna Seca: Friends in fast places (RACER)
- Racing Meets Fashion At Singapore GP (Alex Kopilow)
- COTA introduces USGP Football Package ticket (RACER)
- Behind-the-Scenes: Battle on the Bricks at IMS (PRI)
- Making a Single Bolt for an F1 Car Takes an Insane Amount of Work (The Drive)
- F1 Has Gone Crazy Again—and It’s Completely Unmissable (Wall Street Journal)
- Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Movie Required a Custom-Made Sony Camera to Film High-Octane Racing Scenes (Variety)
- Why Porsche is yet to name a new Aussie motorsport boss (SpeedCafe)
- In Defense of S*** Talk (Formula Flash)
- World RX to return to Finland in 2025 (BlackBook Motorsport)
- You Can Buy This Abandoned Race Track for Under $500,000 (The Drive)
- FIA University Advanced Leadership Programme (ALP) opens in Geneva (FIA)
- Fourth edition of FIA Immersion Programme Empowers Emerging Leaders to Drive the Future of Motorsport (FIA)
- The African dictator with a penchant for sports (Play The Game)
- What it costs to bow to Saudi Arabia (Sports Politika)
The Numbers
NASCAR Xfinity Series sees largest TV viewership since July with CW debut (BlackBook Motorsport)
McLaren Takes the Lead in the Constructors’ Championship (Blinkfire Analytics)
Motorsport Law Roundup
A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week
This week Motorsport Prospects published part two of a two-part series on the Evolution of F1 Sponsorship by aspiring Motorsport Lawyer, Anirban Aly Mandal. After evaluating stipulations regarding personal sponsors and racing overalls in part one, part two focuses on helmet designs and general sponsor expectations. You can read the article here.
Joey Mawson has been handed a three-year suspension for breaching the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy. Motorsport Australia has confirmed the sanction following test results delivered by Sporting Integrity Australia.
“Motorsport Australia can confirm a sanction notice has been issued to Joey Mawson for a breach of the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy 2021,” it read. “Mawson has been issued a three-year suspension dating back to 13 May 2023, following a positive test result at a Motorsport Australia event in which he was competing. Both Mawson’s A and B samples provided to Sport Integrity Australia were found to have contained the prohibited substance under the policy, meldonium. This penalty will see Mawson’s licence suspended until 13 May 2026.”
SpeedCafe has more details here.
An Italian restaurant near the Las Vegas Strip is suing the Grand Prix and Formula 1, claiming the race has cost the business “millions of dollars” in lost revenue. Ferraro’s Ristorante, located near the famous Bellagio Fountains and hotel, alleges that “it has suffered a loss of thousands of guests and millions of dollars, and those losses will only increase as the political and corporate machine behind the F1 race continues to push the annual F1 race over the objections and significant disruptions to local Las Vegas businesses,” according to court documents filed in the Clark County District Court, and seen by RacingNews365.
In 2013, RaceFans looked at the long shadow cast by F1’s notorious 2008 Singapore Grand Prix Crashgate and raises some interesting questions. “Five years on, can it be said the FIA took the Crashgate scandal seriously? Or did it conduct a hasty investigation which unearthed no more than it was supposed to?”
Finally, Sacha Woodward Hill, Formula 1’s chief legal officer, is stepping down. Woodward Hill joined F1 in 1996 and became legal chief four years later. Still a practicing solicitor, she was originally recruited to join F1 back in 1996 by former supremo Bernie Ecclestone, having previously worked for several well-known legal firms in London.
Under her, F1’s legal team expanded to cover the many demands of a modern sporting organization, and this group of highly-skilled lawyers helped support grand prix racing’s chiefs in dealing with legal advice, the negotiations of deals and other risks management exercises. Her responsibilities including overseeing F1’s legal compliance, brand protection, human resources and administrative functions.
It is understood however, that after nearly 30 years with F1, she has decided that now is the right time to step away from day-to-day responsibilities and will be departing.
In noting her departure in his latest Green Notebook, Joe Saward gave praise to the lawyer. “There are few brains in F1 as sharp. She has been known to peel, boil and mash team principals as a light breakfast dish.”
Motorsport Sponsorship & Partnership News
Here are the latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week
- Geico to end NASCAR premier partnership after ’24 (Sports Business Journal)
- 24 Hours of Le Mans extends global licensing agreement with IMG until 2029 (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Aussie brand Chiko goes full-circle with Erebus Bathurst backing (Speed Cafe)
- ESA Spotlight on MPB discussing their approach to sponsorship and partnerships (ESA)
- FedEx expected to further reduce presence with JGR after ’24, could exit iconic deal entirely (Sports Business Journal)
- Mercedes renews UBS Formula 1 deal (SIG)
- Bridgestone back as Title Partner for inaugural Toyota GR86 Championship (Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ)
- E1 appoints IRIS to market media rights for UIM World Championship (iSport Connect)
- NASCAR joining forces with Ticketmaster, coalescing with Speedway Motorsports (Sports Business Journal)
The Business of Running a Race Team
Team & Manufacturer News
Here is a roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport
- Alpine F1 profits fall 70% to UK£8m in 2023 (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Haas F1 team record steady UK£5.6m profit in 2023 season (BlackBook Motorsport)
- How McLaren got back to title contention after 12 years of hardship (Autosport)
- How 86 Series pushed Toyota to Supercars (Auto Action)
- Toyota targets second Supercars team ‘by mid-2025’ (Touring Car Times)
- Why Supercars feels new manufacturer will work this time (V8 Sleuth)
- Alpine to continue to use Viry factory for WEC irrespective of F1 engine decision (Autosport)
- Pure Rxcing Partners With TF For LMP2 Expansion (Daily Sportscar)
- Car Collection Porsche Confirmed For Indianapolis 8 Hours (Daily Sportscar)
- JA on F1 Podcast: Aston Martin sets 2027 title target (Autosport)
- Why KTM must come to its senses and not panic amid MotoGP slump (Autosport)
- WTRAndretti’s No. 45 Lamborghini Confirmed for 2025 (SportsCar365)
- Nissan Formula E boss Tommaso Volpe speaks to Motorsport Week (Motorsport Week)
- BMW’s Step-By-Step Approach To M Hybrid V8 Development Is Paying Off (Daily Sportscar)
- BMW’s Path to Becoming a GTP Race Winner (Sportscar365+)
- Alpine Purchases Stake In Signatech (Daily Sportscar)
- Elite Motorsport Purchases Ferrari 296 GT3 For GT Open (Daily Sportscar)
- United Autosports’ new U.S. base is a signal of intent (RACER)
- Jota set to skip Bahrain WEC test as focus switches to factory Cadillac program (Autosport)
- Dynisma to Supply Ground-breaking Simulator Technology to Rodin Motorsport (Dynisma)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former 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.
