The future of Formula One is a big focus of this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup. From the future of the series in the United States, to Apple’s growth plans on the media side, you will find out what the main players are thinking. All this and much more!
Overview
Motorsport Industry News
The Future of Formula 1
As first quarter 2026 results were released showing an increase in revenues, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was discussing the future of Formula 1 in a recent Autosport Business Exchange held during the Miami Grand Prix. He was especially buoyant about expanion in the United States after what looks like F1’s gamble on the Miami Grand Prix has paid off.
“If you think back, F1 has always been in the US, but randomly, I would say, in terms of presence,” Domenicali explained. “We were in Detroit, we were in Indianapolis, we were in Austin. And the last time we were in Austin, not 100 years ago, but just eight years ago, we had around 60,000 people. And now we have three races where the average attendance is huge. That means that the evolution of the love of Formula 1 in this country has been phenomenal.“
You can read and watch more about what Domenicali had to say in the following video and articles.
- The Future Of Formula 1 With Stefano Domenicali, Eddy Cue, And Tom Garfinkel (Huddle Up)
- Domenicali: F1 is far from finished with US expansion (Autosport)
- Shaq on the DJ decks, a $12k yacht club, and Messi in the paddock… the Miami Grand Prix proved F1’s American gamble is paying off (Daily Mail)
Formula 1 Continues to Debate What Should Power the Sport
Last week I mentioned the politics of F1 engines that has begun to dominate F1 citcles. Whether it is about what kind of tweaks to apply to the 2026 engines now and in the near future, or what type of power unit to use in 2030/31, opinions are starting to emerge. While the FIA president is pushing for sustainably-fueled V8s with minimal battery power, the teams and manufacturers are pushing back with their own suggestions. The FIA and F1 have also made it clear that the sport can no longer have manufacturers dictating the engine formula.
Here is a roundup of the current state of play on power units in F1.
- Why OEM involvement has caused vast problems for F1 and the FIA (Autosport)
- FIA president certain V8 engines to return to F1 by 2031 (Autosport)
- Why V8s have entered the F1 chat (again) (Autosport)
- Mercedes backs V8 F1 plan, suggests 1200bhp ‘mega’ engine (The Race)
- F1 could get loud again from 2030: Why the sport is discussing changing engines again (The Athletic)
- “We love V8s” – What F1 manufacturers think about future engine regulations (Autosport)
- McLaren team principal proposes major engine changes with F1 2028 deadline (Planet F1)
- Red Bull issues nonchalant Ford-influenced reaction to F1’s V8 plans (Motorsport Week)
F1’s Middle East Strategy Exposed By War-Driven Race Cancellations
Bloomberg looks at the long-term implications of the war in the Middle East and the effect it is having on Formula 1’s expansion strategy. They note that:
- The US-Iran war forced F1 to scrap the Bahrain and Saudi Grands Prix, costing it roughly $115M in hosting fees.
- For 20+ years, oil-rich Gulf states paid F1 huge sums to host races, making the region a core part of the racing calendar.
- Critics long flagged human rights concerns, but the real risk turned out to be regional instability, which leagues like the NBA must now factor into future deals.
Read more about the implications here.
Apple Reveals Early F1 2026 Viewership Surge After US Broadcast Rights Deal
Just three races into Apple’s first season as Formula 1’s exclusive broadcaster for the United States, Apple SVP Eddy Cue says viewership is “way up” versus last year’s numbers by ESPN – with fans watching more than just Sunday’s grand prix.
“The ratings were way up over where they were last year on linear for the first three races, significantly,” he said. “Not only did we see more viewers, but we also saw more viewers throughout the weekend. So one of the things that I think I was always excited about is… you look at today and tomorrow and Sunday, all three days are huge.”
Here is some more Apple-related F1 news:
- Apple ‘thrilled’ by early performance of its F1 coverage (RACER)
- Apple’s Cue expects F1 movie sequel, hopes for more global TV expansion (Reuters)
Should F1 Drivers Be Consulted on the Rules?
Should Formula 1 drivers be consulted on formulating the rules for the series? Drivers certainly think so since they are the ones who drive the cars, and they have been consulted with the 2026 engine tweaks to great effect. But some teams are not so sure.
“I think the fact of the matter is we’re already probably too many around the table, because you just end up going around the circles. Adding five more of us isn’t going to help.”
Multi-team ownership is Becoming an Issue in F1
A stake in the BWT Alpine F1 Team is on the market and the battle to acquire it has become one of the most politically charged stories in the paddock. I have reported previously that Zak Brown strongly believes that an F1 team should not own multiple teams or even a stake in another team. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem agrees with the sentiment.
Golden Age of Endurance Racing Loses Yet Another Manufacturer
Acura will pause its factory GTP program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship after the 2026 season. The announcement comes days after Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 93 Acura ARX-06 victory at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Vantage looks at how these affects sportscar racing and its “golden age.”
“This is not an isolated decision. Porsche ended its factory Hypercar program in the FIA WEC after the 2025 season, shifting full focus to IMSA and Formula E. Lamborghini placed its entire LMDh program on hold for 2026 after a single season in both series. Alpine is reportedly set to follow suit after 2026. What was sold as a new golden age of endurance racing, deep grids, diverse philosophies, and nights of wheel-to-wheel prototype warfare, is showing its first major fractures. These pauses should worry sponsors and promoters because manufacturer pullouts directly erode the premium sponsorship value that justifies top-tier activation budgets.”
MotoGP Confident it will “Reach an Agreement” with Manufacturers Over Commercial Cycle
While MotoGP has admitted to discussing the use of F1’s Miami track at some point in the future, the main focus right now is on reaching an agreement with manufacturers over the next commercial cycle from 2027 to 2031, despite negotiations dragging on for nearly a year.
“(Also) regarding the agreement with the manufacturers, the proposal for the future is different from what we had before, and all those changes take time to negotiate.”
GT3 Celebrates 20 Years While Looking to the Future
The GT3 category of sportscar racing has to be one of the most popular classes in the history of the sport. Diverse manufacturer support and a global calendar make it a true success story. Here are a few articles that look back on the category and look ahead to the future.
- History in the making: how GT3 began with a bang in 2006 (SRO)
- How a Disbeliever Saw GT3 Conquer the World (Sportscar365+)
- How over the course of two decades GT3 became modern motorsport’s greatest success (Autosport)
- Ratel Reflects On 20 Years Of GT3: “It’s Surpassed All My Wildest Expectations” (Daily Sportscar)
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
Miami GP Expansion Plans and More
- F1 Miami GP announces major Paddock Club expansion for 2027 (Autosport)
- The Weight You Don’t See: Mental Health in F1 and the Bottas Case (DB Motorsport)
- Want to Support the Development Series in NASCAR? Better Have Deep Pockets (Front Stretch)
- Dallara and IBM Partner to Push Vehicle Development Toward a Faster Future (Sports Illustrated)
- Autosport Business Exchange Miami Brings the Sport’s Most Influential Voices Trackside (AR1)
- Inside Lewis Hamilton’s Worldwide Property Portfolio (Robb Report)
- MotoGP’s manufacturers are revolting, so why aren’t the riders? (Motorsport Magazine)
- Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania begins Team Tender process (FR Oceania)
- India’s Biggest Motorsport Engineering Talent Hunt (MEGA)
- Apple’s ‘F1 Live in IMAX’ offers fans a novel perspective (RACER)
- Pure Cinema – How F1: The Movie put live racing on the IMAX agenda (Sector)
- Female Athletes Demonstrate Resilience. Empowering Gen Z Team Members (Push to Pass with JP Moery)
- SCCA Sets Strategic Direction for Growth and Evolution Across Programs (SCCA)
- Sexism, speed and meeting Toto: Susie Wolff on her life in F1 (The Times)
- F1’s Global Calendar Has Changed How Fans Watch — And Time Zones Now Matter More Than Ever (AR1)
- Pegasus Marking Group Announces Strategic Alliance with Lit Sports (Pegasus)
- How Formula 1 Tourism, Grand Prix Economic Booms, and Spain’s Motorsport Spectacles Are Fueling a New Era of Global Travel and Business-Driven Destination Growth – Travel And Tour World (TTW)
- Perth Supercars street track construction (SpeedCafe)
- AI is now an F1 sponsor, a strategist, and a tech director. The race weekend has changed (TNW)
- As Formula One evolves, AI becomes part of the race (Reuters)
- Ferrari tops Wall Street’s first-quarter expectations ahead of EV debut (CNBC)
- Unravelling the Layers of A Formula 1 Weekend: Creating Coherence Across 24 Cities (Paddock Journal)
- Inside McLaren Golf: Can an F1 Team Win the Golf Equipment Business? (Huddle Up)
- A hot dog is selling for $100 at the Miami Grand Prix. But what does it taste like? (The Athletic)
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
Extreme H Demonstrates Feasibility of Hydrogen in Motorsport
The Extreme E World Cup demonstrated the feasibility of using hydrogen as a fuel in motorsport and I have the details in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have news on a plant-based race car, Formula E’s Gen4 on track and much more!
The Numbers This Week
Miami F1 and NASCAR in Texas
- Miami Grand Prix still draws a crowd despite rainy weekend (Sports Business Journal)
- NASCAR’s Texas viewership drops to 2.29m on FS1 (BlackBook Motorsport)
Motorsport Law Roundup
JGR Trial Date Set Amidst Fresh Allegations
A trial date has been set in the Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gabehart, Spire lawsuit but JGR have decided to file fresh allegations against Spire as a result of Carson Hocevar’s recent win and performance.
“This sudden improvement in Spire’s Cup Series performance of course comes on the heels of Gabehart misappropriating JGR’s Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and providing Spire the same or similar services he provided JGR.”
Roush NASCAR Team Seeks Final OK For Data Breach Deal
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing LLC, a professional stock car racing team, asked a North Carolina federal court Friday for final approval of a settlement in a data breach class action that will offer protection for fraud and identity theft.
Motorsport Sponsorship, Partnership News and Analysis
FinTech in F1 and More Sponsorship News
- Finance and Fintech in Formula 1: The 2026 Sponsorship Landscape (Fintech Branding Studio)
- Adidas makes third F1 move with Red Bull (Sport Business)
- Haworth: F1 commercial potential ‘nowhere near ceiling’ (Sector)
- Benefits of Motorsport Sponsorship: Advantage Guide for Brands (RTR Sports Marketing)
- Motorsport Sponsorship Activation? Complete Brand Guide (2026) (RTR Sports Marketing)
- Formula 1 announces FanDuel as new Official Betting Operator in multi-year deal (F1)
- BDO USA Named Official Partner of Juncos Hollinger Racing and INDY NXT Driver Alexander Koreiba (BDO)
- RCA Brand Returning to NASCAR in Three-Race Partnership With Spire Motorsports (Morningstar)
- PrizePicks backing for Hunter-Reay’s Arrow McLaren/Legacy Indy entry (RACER)
- Why Marsh sees F1 as the perfect platform to showcase risk (Sector)
- MSR and SiriusXM’s music collaboration continues with Morgan Wallen (RACER)
- Sponsor Debrief: Miami Grand Prix (Sunday’s Sponsors)
- F1 Driver Charles Leclerc Partners With Chivas Regal on a Whisky Release With a Personal Touch (Rolling Stone)
- From Asset Selling to Solution Selling in Motorsports (Brad Zimmerman)
- Oro Station Names LVRY as Official Apparel Partner, Plans Dedicated Retail Space at Ontario’s New Motorsport Destination (Oro Station)
- Formula 1 and Marsh announce multi-year Official Partnership (Formula 1)
- Most F1 Sponsor Content Isn’t Built for Fans. It Shows (OutLap Agency)
- Formula 1 and Sky agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy (F1)
- WEC vs F1 Sponsorship — Why Endurance Is the Most Undervalued Platform in Motorsport (RTR Sports)
- Qualcomm joins NASCAR San Diego sponsor roster with circuit naming rights (Sports Business Journal)
- BRACKET becomes official partner of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux Talent Pool (Porsche)
- How Aston Martin used Miami’s culture to spotlight its F1 partners (Sector)
- Box Office Records, Brand Deals & the $45M APX GP Sponsorship Story (Sponsor United)
- Saint Laurent Won the Miami GP (Esses)
The Business of Running a Race Team
How McLaren Went from the Brink of Disaster to F1 Glory | Zak Brown
Team & Manufacturer News
Are Spire Motorsports the Next Great Race Team?
- Why a privateer team developed this unique Honda NSX GT3 (Race Car Engineering)
- RFK Racing coming up empty on its charter hunt (RACER)
- ‘We’re just getting going’: Is Spire Motorsports NASCAR’s next great team? (ESPN)
- Privateer Haas F1 still likes its hand amid new ‘America’s team’ rivalry with car giant Cadillac (Sports Business Journal)
- McLaren’s WEC LMDh prototype breaks cover ahead of first test (Autosport)
- Toyota, Peugeot Set Out Hybrid Red Lines for 2030 Regs (Sportscar365)
- Genesis: Qatar Postponement Both Helpful, Hindrance (Sportscar365)
Motorsport Movers & Shakers
Kathy Nowak Is Ready For Miami
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Tiggy Valen of The Paddock Project spoke with Kathy Nowak, F1’s youngest-ever president of a Grand Prix on her first race weekend as president and the future she’s building for Miami.
You can read the full interview for free here.
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.
