Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

Rwanda is working to bring a Grand Prix to Africa and you will find out the details in the last Business of Motorsport Roundup of 2024. I also have details on the controversial FIA governance change, the latest developments in motorsport law and the sponsorship deals and partnerships that were announced this week. All this and much more!

Motorsport Industry News

Formula 1

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

Confirming weeks of rumors, Rwanda has officially launched their bid for a Formula 1 race as reported by Autosport. “I am happy to formally announce that Rwanda is bidding to bring the thrill of racing back to Africa, by hosting a Formula 1 grand prix,” President Paul Kagame said. The race would take place on a new track close to the planned Bugesera airport near Kigali. It will be designed by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz. You can read more of the details here.

Motorsport Week, quoting Joe Saward says that the US Department of Justice probe was a key factor in GM winning their Cadillac F1 bid. “In his Business of Motorsport Newsletter, Saward detailed the DOJ’s potential “smoking gun,” writing: “F1 tittle-tattle suggested that the DOJ must have found some kind of smoking gun evidence involving a WhatsApp group consisting of F1 and five teams: Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren and Red Bull Racing, and that collusion forced a settlement that is not advantageous to the existing teams.”” You can read more here.

An F1 study reveals that half of the the sport’s fans in the United States are new to F1 since 2020. “Championship officials also outlined that according to the data it has gathered one in two fans in the U.S.—with its fanbase in the nation now expanding to 45 million—started following the sport within the last five years.” Read more about the report in Autoweek.

As Formula 1 wraps up their 2024 season, it is carrying positive business momentum into 2025 according to the Sports Business Journal.

“From a macro perspective, we are seeing a ton of positive momentum across the sport, specifically from the commercial perspective,” said John Nowicki, vice president of corporate partnerships at Excel Sports Management. “Some of those variables as it relates to the on-track performance of teams and cars is such a small fraction of the value the sport provides, and that is where corporations and brands are seeing the excitement behind the sport.”

Asia Milia Ware from The Cut looks at the increase in beauty brands getting involved with F1. With insights from F1 commentator Toni Cowan-Brown on the importance of self-care for both drivers and fans, the piece underscores the potential for beauty in F1 as the sport attracts a more diverse audience, suggesting an exciting future for beauty experiences in sports. Read the full article here.

The Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, set to take place in Madrid from 2026 to 2035, will also feature the FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 Championships in a ten-year agreement. More details can be found here.

FIA

FIA

Last week, just as I had published the Business of Motorsport Roundup it was announced that the controversial governance proposal that would restrict the ethics and audit committees’ control and reduce the responsibilities of the compliance officer and see powers delegated to the FIA president and the president of its senate, rather than the senate itself, passed. Below are a few articles looking at how they passed and why the president of the FIA felt that they were necessary.

On more positive FIA news, the regulator has reported a staggering €26 million turnaround in the state of its financial health according to RacingNews365. The Federation revealed its finances during this week’s General Assemblies meetings in Kigali, Rwanda. The results are underpinned by what it describes as “a significant reduction of the…operating costs driven by an increase in revenues and savings”.

At the FIA General Assemblies week in Kigali, Rwanda, FIA Regional Sport Clubs Meetings highlighted innovation, collaboration, and grassroots growth, and FIA programmes to empower Member Clubs and drive a positive future for motorsport globally.

FIA Secretary General Valerio Iachizzi welcomed participants and commended the region’s collaboration and responsiveness. Key updates included the FIA Motorsport Funding Programme’s 2026 timeline, set to strengthen grassroots initiatives, and the presentation of the FIA eLibrary — a valuable resource preserving historical knowledge for FIA Member Clubs.

You can read more about the various initiatives here.

General Motorsport Industry News

MotoGP Logo 2025

The European Commission, the EU’s primary decision-making body, will conduct an in-depth investigation to determine whether Liberty Media’s acquisition of Dorna, which manages the MotoGP World Championship rights, violates antitrust regulations according to Autosport.

“Following an initial report by Bloomberg last week, the competition regulator announced on Thursday that it is opening an “in-depth investigation” to clarify whether the deal violates the antitrust framework established by the office headed by Teresa Ribera, who serves as vice president of both the Commission and the Spanish government.”

You can get all the details here.

Sticking with MotoGP, Dorna’s Sporting Director Carlos Ezpeleta has stated that any manufacturer wishing to join MotoGP must secure an agreement with existing teams to maintain a cap of 22 riders and 11 teams. BMW has shown interest in entering the series, potentially in 2027, after acquiring Suzuki data, while Suzuki has expressed a cautious approach to a potential return, emphasizing the need for a complete motorcycle lineup. Ezpeleta highlighted that any new entries must align with reasonable investment and benefit existing teams. For more details, read the full article at Motorsport Week.

Penske Entertainment is progressing on its 2027 IndyCar chassis by moving from virtual designs to building a scale model and conducting wind tunnel tests with Dallara. This critical testing phase will help refine aerodynamic concepts as the final design is still in development. With a timeline similar to the previous DW12 chassis, Penske and Dallara have significant time to improve the new model before its debut. For complete details, read the article at RACER.

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

Driving Force Events boss Andrea Ficarelli proclaimed the 2024 edition of the Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours to be the “most difficult from a logistics point of view” due to the close proximity to the Formula 1 finale, but added that the lessons learned will allow for a similar format next year. Read more about the challenges at Sportscar365.

NASCAR President Steve Phelps acknowledged that the Chicago Street Course race lost money, costing the organization $50 million, yet emphasized the event’s value for expanding the fan base, noting that 70% of attendees were new to NASCAR.

Phelps indicated that the series will continue exploring innovative scheduling, including international markets, to promote growth, despite potential backlash from traditional fans. He highlighted the importance of balancing the sport’s history with new opportunities, such as relocating events like The Clash and moving forward with the schedule in a more strategic way. For further insights, read the article at Autoweek.

SportsPro has published their 2024/25 Formula E Business Report. “Released ahead of the first race in December, this new annual Business Report contains essential business intelligence and commercial contract details relating to the highest class of electric open-wheel racing and its 11 teams.” You can get more details on the report here.

Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup

Lola Cars Formula E Team Testing

Why Lola chose Formula E for its return is the headline topic in this last Sustainable Motorsport Roundup of 2024. You will also get an update on the progress made by Carbon Positive Motorsport, the complication of Formula E’s Pit Boost and much more.

The Numbers

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

Blinkfire Analytics have consulted their Global Ranking Report to determine which team leads on social media in terms of total engagement and total video views. Ferrari stands out for engagement, leading user interactions with their posts, while Red Bull continues to dominate video views. Get more of their year-end numbers here.

As part of their announcement renewing the Crypto,com sponsorship, Formula 1 revealed some impressive series stats. “The two brands have worked together since 2021, and the renewal marks their continued commitment to the growth and value the partnership delivers for both parties. Those years have also witnessed seismic growth in Formula 1, which now has a cumulative TV audience of 1.5bn viewers watching its Grands Prix, 750m global fans, and 96m followers across social media, while Crypto.com has also grown its user base more than tenfold to over 100 million users globally.”

Motorsport Law Roundup

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

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

With the inevitable announcement that Red Bull has replaced Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson, speculation has been published on how Perez’s contract may have complicated the negotiations. “In the big money world of F1, drivers and their managers do not simply agree to rip up multi-million pound contracts and walk away without some form of deal being put on the table.”

Here are two articles that examine the widely speculated dynamics of the complex contract negotiations. It’s important to remember that Perez signed a contract extension earlier in the season, a decision that Christian Horner has since acknowledged was a mistake in hindsight.

Michael Jordan

In what is turning out to be quite an acrimonious legal process, Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team scored a victory this week when a judge ruled in its favor in an anti-trust lawsuit against the sanctioning body, reversing an earlier decision to not grant them and a second team a preliminary injunction by a different judge who was assigned off the case reports Adam Stern.

“U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Bell ruled Wednesday that the teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, must be allowed to compete as chartered teams in 2025, writing: “The public interest favors entry of a limited preliminary injunction for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. NASCAR fans (and members of the public who may become fans) have an interest in watching all the teams compete with their best drivers and most competitive teams. Further, the public has an interest in preserving the rights of litigants to pursue legal claims in good faith, particularly antitrust claims that aim to preserve the process of commercial competition.””

Here’s the latest:

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

Two weeks ago a letter from World Sporting Consulting (WSC) to TCR car owners in the United Kingdom indicated that their machines would be banned from officially licensed TCR competition, if they were to be raced in non-sanctioned events. A number of sources have now confirmed to Touring Car Magazine that from 2025, this edict will apply not just in the UK, but also at an international level.

According to TCM, the simmering anger was not addressed initially, with no official body attempting to calm the waters until TCR UK promoter Maximum Motorsport was left to issue a statement to UK car owners during the week. It read:

“Following on from the update by WSC that homologated TCR cars must run within licensed championships, Maximum Motorsport would like to provide an update. We have been working hard to not only make TCR UK successful for 2025 but to improve the UK market and give all TCR cars a home and somewhere to race. In the near future we hope to have a full list of championships which will receive licenses to run TCR cars legally.

It looks like progress is being made as the 750 Motor Club have become the first organization to take on a TCR sub-license in the UK, which will allow their members to race TCR cars at club level without the threat of having their homologation voided.

The breakdown in relations between TCR UK and WSC is also apparently behind the cancellation of the Oulton Park round of the 2025 TCR World Tour. “In a letter seen by Touring Car Magazine the change of schedule, and loss of a UK round is down to a ‘breakdown in the relationship between TCR Series and MSUK.’”

The European Union has ramped up antitrust scrutiny of the governance of professional sports, particularly soccer, with recent rulings indicating that FIFA and UEFA may hold dominant and potentially monopolistic positions in violation of EU antitrust laws. These legal challenges address significant governance issues such as team requirements, player transfers, and competition participation, all of which are pivotal for the future of sports.

Similar trends are observable in the United States, where governing bodies in various sports face increased pressure regarding their regulations and practices. These developments suggest a transformative shift in sports governance across both continents, emphasizing the need for clearer, fairer rules in a rapidly evolving landscape. For a comprehensive overview of these significant changes, read the full article at Reuters.

Spain’s stringent regulations on online gambling have intensified in 2024, with the government imposing a record €50 million in fines on operators for violations related to advertising and consumer protection, reflecting a robust commitment to controlling gambling exposure, particularly among youth. These reforms began in 2020, restricting gambling advertisements and celebrity endorsements, and are now affecting sponsorships across various sports, including motorcycle racing.

As significant gambling sponsors retreat, the financial landscape of events like MotoGP and WSBK is at risk, prompting concerned discussions among riders and teams about balancing consumer protection with the economic sustainability of the sport. For a deeper dive into how these regulations are reshaping the future of motorcycle racing, read the full article at Motorcycle Sports.

Motorsport lawyer John Hand at The Motorsport Lawyer looks at the FIA regulations and provides an explainer on bringing actions and how to avoid common mistakes. Read all the details here.

Here are two motorsport law conferences to look forward to in 2025.

Motorsport and The Law Conference 2025 organized by LawInSport will take place on March 26, 2025 in London, England. “The Motorsport Law Conference 2025 will provide a full day of panel discussions and presentations followed by a networking evening. The conference provides a professional forum to meet and develop meaningful relationships with colleagues working in the sector.” Full details can be found here.

The Racing Attorney Conference 2025 (TRAC) will be taking place on April 22-23, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. “The Racing Attorney Conference, first held in 2008, is an annual event that combines education, development and networking with leaders in the motorsports industry. TRAC is planned and presented by the Indianapolis Bar Association Sports and Entertainment Law Section.” Full details can be found here and here.

Motorsport Sponsorship & Partnership News

Here are the latest motorsport sponsorship deals, partnerships and related analysis that were announced this week

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

The Business of Running a Race Team

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

If you caught the Amazon TV series Grand Prix Driver a few years ago, which chronicled the McLaren F1 team’s ambitious new partnership with Honda, you likely recall that pivotal moment when the entire factory gathered in anticipation of the inaugural start-up of the new Honda F1 engine—but were met with silence instead. How things have changed since then! McLaren has clinched the 2024 Manufacturers Championship, a feat that many deemed improbable then and even at the beginning of this season.

Here is a roundup of some great articles on how the team turned things around and started winning again.

Team & Manufacturer News

Here is a roundup of the latest team news from around the world of motorsport

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa
Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

Motorsport Movers & Shakers

Rwanda Works to Bring F1 Back to Africa

With the sad news of Eddie Jordan’s cancer diagnosis, James Elson of Motorsport Magazine looks at the career of Jordan and what he terms as F1’s ultimate wheeler-dealer team boss.

“A motor-mouthed wheeler-dealer reminiscent of ‘60s GP upstart British garagistas, he also represented the opportunism of the brash, colourful ‘90s F1 scene with packed paddocks of hopeful pre-qualifiers and lurid liveries which caught the eye.”

Read his complete profile here.

Mark Boudreau
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.

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