New motorsport sponsors are announcing their plans for 2025 and in this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup I have all the deals, partnerships and analysis. I also have updates on the latest motorsport legal news as well as what race teams are planning for the 2025 season. All this and much more as we accelerate into 2025!
Motorsport Industry News
Formula 1
- The Belgian Grand Prix has secured a new F1 deal extending through 2031 on a rotational basis, ensuring exciting races for years to come; to learn more about this development, read the full article on Autosport here.
- Formula 1 is set to implement a rotational race system, and the first hints at how this will work are starting to emerge; check out the full details in the article on The Race here.
- Derek Chang has been named the new President and CEO of Liberty Media, sparking interest in how his leadership will impact the sport. Want to know more about his vision? Read the full article on Autosport here.
- Is Formula 1 a welfare state for motorsport? Alan Dove seems to think so.
General Motorsport Industry News
- IndyCar is making strides toward adding Denver and Mexico City races to its schedule in future seasons; for more details, read the full article on Autosport here.
- IndyCar is also approaching a pivotal moment in 2025 that could shape the future of the series; to explore what’s at stake, read the full article on Racer here.
- As Formula E heads into 2025, several important questions are on the table that could impact the series’ direction; to discover what they are, check out the full article on The Race here.
- NASCAR’s evaluation of artificial intelligence is not being limited to the business side of the sport, as it’s also looking at how the emerging technology could help its competition, including changes to the playoff format, Read more at Sports Business Journal here.
- NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell is not commenting on whether 2025 will be the last year of the Chicago street race, whether the league is talking to San Diego as a possible replacement, or whether the series will eventually compete in Saudi Arabia, but he does maintain that domestic and foreign interest in the sport is significant. Read more at Sports Business Journal.
- IMSA is gearing up for a significant season of digital growth in 2025, with exciting developments on the horizon; to learn more about what’s in store, read the full article on Racer here.
- Liberty Media is set to pay a $210 million penalty related to the sale of MotoGP, impacting its financial landscape; for more details, read the full article on Speedcafe here.
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
- MotoGP still searching for U.S. breakthrough amid Liberty acquisition; weighing next media rights deal (Sports Business Journal)
- Inside the New Plan to Grow Stage Rally in the U.S. (Road&Track)
- The new karting league aiming to tackle F1’s representation problem (Autosport)
- Irwindale Speedway’s NASCAR Oval, NHRA Drag Strip Have Closed Forever (AutoWeek)
- The fight to keep Polish single-seater talents on the path to F1 (Feeder Series)
- Fixing Motorsport Australia’s $1 million deficit (SpeedCafe)
- Shift Up Now Foundation Launches the “Race to $25K” Challenge Following Personal Donation from James Schenck (Shift Up Now)
- S5000 officially axed as cars offered for sale (SpeedCafe)
- Lime Rock Park Champions Women In Motorsports North America at Women with Drive Summit and PRI Show in Indianapolis (Lime Rock Park)
- Dynisma Simulators Appoints New CEO Graeme Cook Amid Record Growth and Global Expansion (Dynisma)
- Motor Racing Magazines – read ’em before they die (Mick Palmer)
- RACE INDUSTRY WEEK 2024 was Spectacular – Watch The Recordings (Epartrade)
- Ickx To Demonstrate Genesis X Gran Berlinetta At Bathurst (Daily Sportscar)
- New Sponsor Purchases IHRA (SpeedSport)
- The Thrills and Chills of Autosport International: A Gearhead’s Paradise Awaits (Pitlane News)
- TCR Australia gains new promoter for 2025 (Touring Car Times)
- Major change as streaming service DAZN buys Supercars, F1 broadcaster Foxtel (Foxtel)
- Formula 1 romance novels are booming (The Washington Post)
- Larson says merger possible between High Limit, World of Outlaws sprint car properties (Sports Business Journal)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
The rise of synthetic fuel in motorsport is the topic of a few of the articles I link to in this week’s edition of the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have news on the use of hydrogen technology in Dakar 25, the SCCA’s plans for racing EVs and much more!
Motorsport Law Roundup
A look at some of the legal and regulatory issues and analysis in Motorsport this week
- McLaren Racing is involved in a significant sports law case set for 2025. The case, between the famous racing outfit and former driver Alex Palou, will reach a London court in 2025 should mediation between the two parties fail, raising eyebrows about its implications for the motorsport world; to find out more, read the full article on MSN here.
- Motorsports monopolies are being scrutinized, raising important questions about competition and fairness in the industry; to delve deeper into this analysis, read the full article by Anand Patel on LinkedIn here.
- NASCAR has implored a North Carolina federal judge on Wednesday to throw out portions of an antitrust suit brought by Michael Jordan’s team and award a $36 million bond, saying it was the teams themselves who demanded the contracts they now claim are monopolistic. Read more at LAW360 here (subscription required).
- The ongoing debate over the use of TCR cars in the UK raises fundamental questions about regulations and competitive integrity in motorsport; to learn more about this issue, read the full article on Autosport here.
- Allegations of money laundering have emerged in connection with a Formula E event in India, stirring controversy and concern in the motorsport community; to get the full details, read the article on Devdiscourse here.
- A judge has rejected a lawsuit related to the controversial Formula E car race in Montreal, leaving key issues unresolved; for the full story, read the article on the Toronto Sun here.
- Motorsport UK has been trialing new National Competition Rules (NCR) throughout 2024 in a move towards modernizing and improving the accessibility of the rules that govern the sport. Read more about the initiative at Motorsport UK’s Revolution Magazine.
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
Here are the latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week
- Behind The Scenes Of A Successful NASCAR Race Entitlement Sponsorship (Forbes)
- Antron Brown Signs Multi-Year Extension With Matco (Speed Sport)
- Lewis Hamilton set to drop major sponsor Monster Energy ahead of Ferrari F1 move (Motorsport Week)
- Castrol Extends Partnership with Tickford Racing (Auto Action)
- Pagani to sponsor VIP suite at the Adelaide festival (SpeedCafe)
- Win on Sunday, sell on Monday: How luxury fashion brands are tapping into motorsport (This is Money)
- Motorcore Has Gone From the Racetrack, to the Runway, to the Street (Harpers Bazaar)
- MotoGP needs to “go to another level” to attract big sponsors – Aprilia (Autosport)
- Levelling up – how Formula 1’s global audience is opening the door to new partnerships (Autosport)
- F1 Academy and Brand Partners Open Lanes for Women Beyond Formula 1 (AdWeek)
- Gulf Announces New Partnership with Trackhouse in the MotoGP World Championship (Gulf)
- PRI Becomes Title Sponsor, Official Broadcast Partner of Hoosier 500 (PRI)
- Red Bull and Bybit ‘part ways’ ahead of 2025 season (BlackBook Motorsport)
- NASCAR names Cook Out as new Clash title partner (BlackBook Motorsport)
- Amazon signs primary sponsorship deal with Hendrick Motorsports ahead of Nascar TV debut (Blackbook Motorsport)
- The F1 Sponsorship Race (Drive Sports Marketing)
- Aston Martin Aramco and Arm join forces to advance equity and AI-driven innovation (Aston Martin F1)
- Long-standing sponsor Fanatec departs GT World Challenge fold (SpeedCafe)
- Formula E and Google Cloud announce expanded partnership (Formula E)
- BWT Alpine Formula One Team partners with Castore to provide official teamwear from 2025 onwards (Alpine)
- Mercedes and Adidas enter into “groundbreaking” apparel partnership deal (Autosport)
- Pepperstone joins Aston Martin stable on multi-year partnership deal (Autosport)
- TAG Heuer replaces Rolex as F1 official timekeeper (Autosport)
- Biggest F1 teams sponsors: Ferrari matches Red Bull Oracle mega deal with HP (RacingNews365)
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
- GetSpeed Reveals Plans for New Headquarters (Sportscar365)
- Binotto on Audi’s F1 reality check after finding team “frozen” with no plans (Autosport)
- Hyundai in talks with McLaren over Formula E entry (The Race)
- Lamborghini Reaffirms GTP Endurance Cup-Only Program (Sportscar365)
- Riley to run Lamborghini GTP program for IMSA endurance rounds (RACER)
- Ayrton Houk continues in USF2000 with new team launched by his dad (Formula Scout)
- Rossa LM GT to Debut at 24H Dubai (Sportscar365)
- Rutronik to Continue in Sprint, Endurance Cup With Porsche (Sportscar365)
- VPX Motorsport Returns to Pirelli GT4 America for Full Season (VPX Motorsport)
- Genesis Doesn’t Just Want to Race at Le Mans in 2026. It Aims to Win (Road & Track)
- Rosberg’s Extreme E team shuts down (RACER)
- Sportscar365’s Team of the Year is Winward Racing (Sportscar365)
- JMF Motorsports to join Aston Martin Racing with a Fresh Driver Lineup (JMF Motorsports)
- Inside the F1 factory that wooed Adrian Newey to Aston Martin (The Race)
- McLaren explains the development discipline behind its F1 world title (Autosport)
- Sportscar365’s Manufacturer of the Year is Porsche (Sportscar365)
- Rockwell Autosport Development Sets Audi TCR Lineup (Sportscar365)
- WRT Returns to Bathurst 12H With Two-Car BMW Effort (Sportscar365)
- ‘Game-changing’ Racing Bulls move underway as brand-new facility comes online (Planet F1)
- Max Racing Revived for New Japan Cup Effort (Sportscar365)
- M-Sport targets more WRC entries at selected events in 2025 (Autosport)
- Toney Driver Development Set for IMSA Debut in VP Racing SportsCar Challenge (RTD)
- GM establishes F1 power unit company, appoints CEO (RACER)
- Lone Star Firms Up Endurance Cup Lineup With Mercedes-AMG (Sportscar365)
- Turner Sets Pilot, VP Challenge BMW Entries; Six Cars at Daytona (Sportscar365)
- Alpine Sees No Reason for LMDh Engine Overhaul (Sportscar365)
- Vasser Sullivan Racing Confirms 2025 IMSA Program (Daily Sportscar)
- Volante Rosso Enters Aston Martin For Bathurst 12 Hour (Daily Sportscar)
- Genesis LMDh Technical Q&A With FX Demaison (Daily Sportscar)
- How Genesis is Preparing for its LMDh Debut (Sportscar365+)
- McLaren Racing: Putting mental wellbeing at the centre of high performance (SIG)
- Engineering shortage leaves IndyCar teams scrambling (RACER)
- NASCAR Maverick Justin Marks Wants to See Trackhouse Racing in Indy 500 (AutoWeek)
- Kingpin Racing Steps Up to GS With Dual Series Program (Sportscar365)
- Positive talks over new IndyCar engine partners continuing (RACER)
- Pegram Racing Switches to Hyundai for Full-Season Effort (Sportscar365)
- KTM’s MotoGP exit set to take place in 2026 amid insolvency proceedings (Autosport)
- The steps KTM is taking to protect its MotoGP division while it awaits a saviour (Autosport)
- KTM claims ‘concrete’ Hamilton talks over MotoGP team buy-in (The Race)
- Era Motorsport Targeting Future ELMS Expansion With Ferrari GT3 Effort (Sportscar365)
- DXDT Racing Maintains GT World Challenge America Presence (Daily Sportscar)
- E2P Racing switches to Aston Martin for 2025 Michelin 24H SERIES program (24H Series)
- WRT Reveals 24H Dubai Line-Up, Al Manar Racing Partnership (Daily Sportscar)
- Meyer Shank considering fly-in crews for IndyCar pit stops (RACER)
- Two official Renault Clio Rally3s at the Rallye Monte-Carlo (Renault)
- Defender to join Dakar Rally from 2026 (Autosport)
- Schmidt, Peterson bid farewell to Arrow McLaren (RACER)
- Setting sail: The sea freight operation supporting our 2025 season (Aston Martin F1)
- Ford evaluating IMSA GTP program (RACER)
Motorsport Movers & Shakers
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.
