Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner

Steve Phelps is out as NASCAR commissioner, reportedly a consequence of the fallout from a turbulent anti-trust trial. In the first Business of Motorsport Roundup of 2026, you will find out what led to his departure, explore the surge in F1 team valuations, unpack the latest motorsport legal developments, and cover plenty more shaping the business side of racing.

Overview

Motorsport Industry News

Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner

Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner

Following a contentious period as NASCAR commissioner highlighted by insulting texts aimed at a team owner and the mid-trial settlement of the anti-trust action brought on by teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, Steve Phelps is out as NASCAR commissioner with no replacement announced.

“We can’t help but wonder what would happen if Major League Baseball brought in a new commissioner and he or she trash talked one of the true legends who built the game like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth?” major backer Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shops wrote. “Such blatant disrespect would probably not sit well with the fans — such a commissioner most likely wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, keep his or her job for very long!”

Here is a roundup of the coverage:

The Business of F1’s Record-Breaking 2025

The 2025 F1 season wasn’t just historic on the track with Lando Norris’s maiden title; it was a commercial juggernaut. As Formula 1 celebrated its 75th anniversary, the sport posted double-digit growth across nearly every key metric, solidifying its status as the world’s fastest-growing major sports league.

The Business of Speed has the highlights of the commercial, media, and operational wins that defined the year. Read them here.

ESPN Happy with F1 tenure, But Some Wonder if Network Got Proper Credit for Series’ Growth

Adam Stern reports that ESPN says it’s proud of its eight-year run with Formula 1, but some company executives wonder whether the network is getting the credit it deserves for helping grow the series in America when compared to what Netflix gets for “Drive to Survive.”

John Suchenski: “We feel that both ESPN and Netflix — and F1 as well — all combined to really help raise the bar and drive the interest in the sport in the U.S. during this time period. I think we’ve helped each other, right?. … I think we have gotten some credit, maybe not as vocal or known around the industry as maybe it could have been.”

2025 Sports Team Values: WNBA, F1 Soar, While MLB, MLS Lag

Sports team investments have received outsized attention in recent years, with dozens of new funds chasing market-beating returns in a category that is not correlated with most other assets. This is what Sportico said about F1:

Formula 1 ($3.42 billion)

The 10 teams on the grid in 2025 rose 48% in value and are now more than double Sportico’s 2023 F1 team valuations, when the average was $1.61 billion. Ferrari was on top for the third straight year at $6.4 billion, but Mercedes ($5.88 billion) and McLaren ($4.73 billion) closed the gap at the top with their values up 49% and 78%, versus 34% for Ferrari.

“It’s a great time to be in Formula 1, as I think the pie is growing for everyone,” Jefferson Slack, Aston Martin’s head of commercial operations, said in a November interview. “The sport is moving towards a very healthy ecosystem. I think it is already there.”

Control sales are rare in F1, with only 10 teams ahead of Cadillac’s entry in 2026, but teams have sold LP stakes in recent years that reflect investor appetite for the race series that has thrived under Liberty Media’s ownership and the introduction of cost caps. The biggest deal was CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz buying 5% of Mercedes from its CEO and principal Toto Wolff at a $6 billion valuation.

MotoGP Moving from Strength to Strength

MotoGP claims its global fanbase has increased to 632 million as part of a selection of figures released for the 2025 season but “We don’t have enough space” for every circuit asking to host MotoGP.

“Of course, we’re ambitious and want to keep growing, but the metrics we receive are those of a major global sport, of a sport and a brand that are already very well established. That said, there is huge potential for business growth. We’re focused on strengthening our own assets rather than copying other disciplines, and that’s reflected in the fact that we’ve managed to captivate 600 million fans worldwide.”

Anthony Hamilton Launches Plans for a HybridV10 Racing Series

Anthony Hamilton, the father of Lewis Hamilton has announced plans for a new global racing series called the HybridV10 Racing Series. The series promises two different divisions in a HybridV10 championship and a parallel HybridV8 category. There are plans for 24 teams across the two categories, potentially offering opportunities for 48 race seats; a start date for the championship has been pencilled in for either 2028 or 2029.

It is easier to announce a series than to run one successfully so there has been some understandable skepticism around the plan. Here is a roundup of the most recent coverage.

IndyCar’s New Charter System Grows in 2026

IndyCar’s new charter system distributes guaranteed entries and $1M annual payouts to teams beginning in 2025, creating financial stability, entry predictability, and asset-backed value as the series positions for long-term growth while adding $11 million to the total for 2026.

“Roger [Penske] made a pretty big commitment to the charter teams and the Leaders Circle by increasing the Leaders Circle by $11 million in ’26, ’27, and 28 from where it was in ’25,” said IndyCar President Doug Boles. “That was just Roger doing the right thing to help IndyCar teams, his partner teams, be more successful and have a little bit more cash to move forward.”

Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week

New Owners at CTMP, IHRA Buying Racetracks and More

Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner

Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup

Toyota Hydrogen Combustion

Toyota Hydrogen Combustion

Toyota hydrogen combustion is just one of the topics in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup as you will learn about the technology behind the race cars. I also have details on the sustainable fuels that will be used in F1 this year and much more!

Motorsport Law Roundup

Antitrust experts: NASCAR Likely Settled for Millions

NASCAR Trial Settlement

Adam Stern reports that NASCAR likely paid out millions of dollars in damages to get 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to end their antitrust trial, according to experts in the space, but the move gave the sanctioning body certainty instead of leaving its future up to a judge and jury.

Meegan Hollywood: “I suspect also that this particular settlement allowed them to have a little bit more control in the changes that they made to the charter system, because in addition to the sort of financial risk, NASCAR did run the risk of having court-mandated changes and then they sort of would have had to do that not on their own terms. This probably allowed them to make certain changes on their own terms and have some more internal control.”

The FIA Increases the Cost of an Appeal to €20,000 for F1 Teams in 2026

From 2026 onwards, appealing to the FIA ​​will cost ten times more, which should dampen the enthusiasm of F1 teams before any challenge. They will have to pay €20,000 for the same procedure, in accordance with Article A.7 of the new sporting regulations. This sum will only be refundable if the appeal is upheld by the decision-making authority. Otherwise, it will be deducted from the budget cap imposed on the teams, which is set at €215 million for next season.

“It Wasn’t Funny” – Piastri Reflects on Alpine F1 Contract Saga

Oscar Piastri has reflected on the contractual saga that occurred in mid-2022, when he signed a McLaren Formula 1 deal as an Alpine junior. “It was certainly a tough time,” Piastri said in F1’s newly released Off The Grid video, filmed in Monaco – where he resides – in November. “Naturally, as a racing driver, you want to go racing.”

Ever Wondered What’s Inside an F1 Driver’s Contract?

Terry Widdows of Coffee Corner Motorsport has published a long-form explainer breaking down how F1 driver contracts really function, why one-plus-one deals dominate the grid, and how elite drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen negotiate protection rather than restriction.

“We often talk about Formula 1 driver contracts in terms of years and salary.
That misses the point though. Modern F1 contracts are risk-control documents. They define image rights, commercial boundaries, performance triggers, exit mechanisms, and who actually holds leverage when a project stops working.”

Ontario Court of Appeal Upholds German Default Judgment Against Race Car Driver

The Canadian Ontario Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal of a summary judgment recognizing and enforcing a default judgment obtained in Munich upon determining that the German court had jurisdiction over the parties’ dispute.

In Hilmer Motorsport GmbH v. Mason, 2025 ONCA 875, the appellants were a professional racing car driver and his father and manager. Both appellants lived in Ontario. The respondent, incorporated under German law, operated a racing team competing in the GP3 Series.

Full details of the judgement can be found here.

Sir Stirling Moss Family Feud Erupts Over £28m Estate and a Missing Crash Helmet

The family of the late Formula 1 legend Sir Stirling Moss is reportedly involved in a legal dispute over the estate of his widow, Lady Susie. The dispute sees his son, Elliot Moss, fighting against his daughter, Allison Bradley over assets valued at approximately £28million, including historic racing memorabilia. Motorsport.com explains the dispute here.

Adrian Sutil’s Lawyer Alleges €17m Monaco Garage Raid After Threat

Former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil is in pre-trial custody over alleged fraud charges. But now, according to an update from his lawyer, Dirk Schmitz, the German racing driver is claimed to be the victim of an extortion plot, with him and his family all targeted in a blackmail scheme. This has resulted in the loss of a number of high-priced vehicles valued at approximately €17million. Motorsport.com has all the details.

Advocate General Spielmann Considers that EU Law Precludes Legislation That Does Not Allow National Courts to Annul Unlawful Sporting Sanctions

Tim O’Connor has brought to light on LinkedIn a recent opinion by the Court of Justice of the European Union that could have major sports law implications. “This time, it’s AG Spielmann’s opinion in Joined Cases C-424/24 and C-425/24 | FIGC & CONI, the key element I feel being that Courts must have a reviewing power over decisions of sporting bodies, including interim relief.”

You can read the judgement here.

Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis

Lego and KitKat Activate F1 Sponsorships and More Motorsport Sponsorship News

Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner

The Business of Running a Race Team

James Sullivan Interview | From Sneaking into Private Testing at Indy to IMSA GTD PRO Champion

Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner

Team & Manufacturer News

Is Genesis Ready For Its Maiden WEC Season, the Rise of Williams and More Global Team News

Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps Out as NASCAR Commissioner
Mark Boudreau
Author: Mark Boudreau

Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. 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.

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