Inside Formula 1: Business. Lifestyle. Power.
Rear-view mirror revolution
Everybody agrees that Formula 1 needs a revolution to stop decreasing fan numbers and shrinking global television audiences. But in an effort to cure the sport, Formula 1’s doctors pull out prescriptions for pills from the past. Is the 1000bhp-racing…
2015 season preview – sponsorship
That eternal equation – is the income greater than the outgo? It’s a timely question as we approach the new season, and sponsorship is certainly one of the main revenue streams for Formula 1 teams. Who has been successful in…
“That’s an experience you can’t buy!”
More than once I’ve heard hospitality guests of a Formula 1 event say something like “that’s an experience you can’t buy!” Indeed there are few things that compare with the quality and excitement of attending a Formula 1 race as…
Formula 1 2014 sponsorship roundup
A roundup of sponsorship: the 2014 season brought both good news and tough challenges for the sponsorship scene. It was great to see Martini back in Formula 1, but now there is pressure to eliminate alcohol sponsorships. Senior sponsorship execs…
Money, Egos & Speed: The tide is turning
The tide is turning: I recently watched a most enjoyable programme on the Sky F1 channel. It was Brunswick Film’s “Review of the 1971 F1 World Championship” and what amazing memories it brought back, watching so many famous names battling…
Time for change
The 2014 silly season is one for the ages. There has been no official confirmation by any party, but it appears that Fernando Alonso is on his way to McLaren and will be replaced in Ferrari by arch-rival Sebastian Vettel.…
Formula 1 fans in America – should sponsors target them?
As we just passed the US Grand Prix, it might be very useful to have a look at the profile of American Formula 1 fans and compare that to fans from other global regions. Yes, there are a lot of…
No loitering, begging or soliciting allowed
Formula 1 is in a deep crisis. With two teams collapsing and the midfielders threatening to boycott the series, the grid is left with just 18 cars at the end of the 2014 season. A sad record for a sport…
Money, Egos & Speed – Focused strategies
In last year’s October edition of the Paddock magazine, I described what an amazing event the Goodwood Revival has become. Living literally a few hundred meters from the boundary fence of the Goodwood circuit, it was no hardship to head…
Radio silence
I have been following Formula 1 for the better part of the last two decades and I am still surprised by the speed with which the pit radio rules in the sport were amended. In the weeks between the Italian…
Santander’s Formula 1 saga
Many people in the Formula 1 paddock were saddened to hear of the passing of Emilio Botin, Chairman of Santander Bank. He was closely involved in Santander’s Formula 1 sponsorship program, which has provided significant results for the bank and…
Money, Egos & Speed – In need for a revival
If there’s one annual motorsport event that I would be really upset to miss, it’s the Goodwood Revival. This year we were blessed with amazing weather, some superb flying displays which included the last two Lancaster bombers still capable of…
