Gucci is entering Formula 1 as Alpine’s title sponsor next year and this week’s Business of Motorsport Roundup has all the analysis you need. I also have details on the business of the Indy 500, the latest sponsorship deals and more.
Motorsport Industry News
Gucci Enters Formula One with Alpine, Becoming its Title Partner
Gucci has formally announced a partnership with the Alpine Formula One Team. From the 2027 FIA Formula One World Championship, the team will race as ‘Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team’ and compete in Gucci colours.
“Driven by mutual ambition and shared values, the collaboration introduces Gucci Racing – a new business and experiential platform built around the values of performance, precision, discipline, and excellence at the intersection of luxury and sport. The partnership with Alpine Formula One Team is its first territory of expression. Gucci Racing comes to life through a dedicated logo, featuring the House’s iconic interlocking G alongside the Gucci Racing wordmark.”
While this has long been rumored, there is more at play here as Gucci is battling declining revenue. The fact that their main competitor LVMH is so embedded now into Formula means that Gucci probably felt that this was the best, most visible marketing it could engage in. Here is the full original announcement along with some analysis of what the deal means for Gucci, F1 and Alpine.
The Business Behind Formula 1
In his recent LinkedIn post, Nirav Chopda explains in great detail the business behind modern Formula 1. “An F1 car finishes a pit stop in under 2 seconds, but the business behind Formula 1 generates nearly $4 billion annually.”
Miami GP’s Paddock Club Expansion: The $500M+ Local Economy Multiplier That’s Redefining Luxury Event Real Estate
The Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix generated approximately $505 million in direct economic impact for South Florida in 2025 alone. This figure underscores the event’s role as a high-yield economic engine. Now, with the May 2026 announcement of a major permanent Paddock Club expansion, adding 115,000 square feet and increasing hospitality capacity to roughly 9,200 guests, promoters are doubling down on luxury infrastructure to sustain and amplify that multiplier. Smart operators recognize this as the kind of infrastructure bet that turns weekend spikes into predictable, multi-year ROI.
Vantage looks behind the numbers to explain how this value was determined.
Why Any 12th Team Project Would Face an Uphill Battle Amid BYD Rumors
I mentioned last week of the rumors behind a BYD Formula 1 bid headed by Christian Horner. Autosport looks at what’s behind new BYD rumors and Formula 1’s 12th team talks as Christian Horner considers his next move.
“The idea of creating a 12th team is even more complicated than buying an existing one, with F1 having only just admitted the Cadillac-GM project following a protracted process. F1 still hasn’t seen the full impact yet of adding a 11th team at this stage, either commercially or logistically, but cramped grand prix paddocks like Monaco or Montreal can’t magically keep adding space overnight, and given the aforementioned team valuations there is also the matter of agreeing to what will likely be an even higher anti-dilution fee.”
The Business of the Indy 500
The 2026 Indianapolis 500 went off without a hitch despite a threatening weather forecast, with Felix Rosenqvist winning the 110th running of the iconic race after a nail-biting finish that featured multiple lead changes in the last few laps. He also won part of a record purse of over $30 million, a record for the iconic race.
“The total prize purse for all 33 drivers was revealed to be $30,906,400, well above recent figures and setting a new record in the process. In fact, each of the past four years had been records at the time. In 2022, the total purse was $16,000,200 and the amount increased roughly $1 million per year and climbing to $20,283,000 for 2025. This year, the total jumped over 50%. The winner’s share jumped higher as well, with Rosenqvist himself earning a record $4.34 million.”
BlackBook Motorsport has a great overview of the business of the Indy 500 as they break down the business behind the 110th edition of IndyCar’s flagship event. “So great is the attendance that IMS would be the second-largest city in the state of Indiana on Indy 500 race day. The economic impact on the surrounding area is therefore sizeable.”
IMS Likely to Roll Out Plans for Entertainment District in Next Two Years
Speaking of the business of the Indy 500, an entertainment district is the most likely mixed-use development for Penske Entertainment to pursue at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, per IndyCar president Doug Boles, and that vision will start to be shared with the public over the next two years. Read more about their plans at the Sports Business Journal here.
Freedom 250 CEO: D.C. IndyCar Race Could Become Annual Event
This summer’s IndyCar race on the national mall in Washington D.C. has largely been presumed to be a one-and-done event to celebrate America, but one of the top executives involved said organizers hope to turn it into a multiyear arrangement according to the Sports Business Journal.
Quick Takes on the Business of Motorsport This Week
Daytona International Speedway Brightens Up While GT3 Surpasses Expectations
Highlights from the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup
David Coulthard Drives the Formula E GEN4 Car
David Coulthard drove a Gen4 Formula E car in Monaco a few weekends back and you will see and read how it went in this week’s edition of the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have details on synthetic fuels at the Nürburgring and the Ferrari Luce!
The Numbers This Week
110th Indy 500 Nets an Average of 6.6 million Viewers
FOX’s broadcast of the 110th Indianapolis 500 drew an average audience of 6,635,000 viewers on Sunday. With the Indy 500 factored into the audience averages across the seven opening races of the season, IndyCar is sitting at 2,383,000 viewers per event, up 9.7 percent from the 2,173,000 average over the first seven races from 2025.
Motorsport Law Roundup
Preece Texas Penalty Upheld On Appeal
The National Motorsports Appeals Panel has upheld the penalty levied against Ryan Preece for wrecking Ty Gibbs in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. Preece was fined $50,000 and docked 25 championship points. The appeal was heard on Wednesday, and the original full penalty was upheld. The three-person appeals panel consisted of Tom DeLoach, Dixon Johnston and Lake Speed.
With the news that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is proposing a removal of term limits for the position as head of motorsport’s governing body, perhaps it is no better time for the upcoming Motorsport vs Football Governance: Negotiating vs Engineering Competition seminar.
“Drawing on his experience in motorsport and sports governance, Anton Fischer, Head of Legal & Compliance at Hyundai Motorsports and Genesis Magma Racing, explores a provocative question at the heart of modern elite sport: how is competition actually shaped?“
Full details of the seminar can be found here.
NTT Extends IndyCar Partnership and More Sponsorship News
Team & Manufacturer News Motorsport
MSR’s Determination and Why Cadillac Went to F1
Movers & Shakers
FIA Secretary General for Sport Valerio Iachizzi
Sector’s latest Role Call is with Valerio Iachizzi, Secretary General for Sport at the FIA – Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. Iachizzi provides Sector with insight into what it’s like to work at world motorsport’s governing body and the important role volunteers play in running events globally, following the recent publication of the FIA F1 Volunteers report.
Read the full profile at Sector.