Everyone is calling the Gucci-Alpine partnership a watershed moment. The first luxury fashion house to serve as title partner in Formula 1. A revolution in how brands engage with motorsport. Historic. It’s none of those things. The Gucci deal is...
Continue reading...History
When the Old Boys Club Writes Its Own Rules
Felipe Massa’s lawsuit just got the green light to proceed to trial. The court ruled he can pursue his conspiracy claims against Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA, and Formula One Management over the 2008 Crashgate scandal. He’s seeking $84 million in...
Continue reading...The Cruelest Victory: Why Brazil 2008 Still Haunts Me
I think about Felipe Massa crossing that finish line in São Paulo more than I probably should. He won the race. He did everything right. For 39 seconds, he was a world champion. Then Lewis Hamilton passed Timo Glock in...
Continue reading...When a Billion People Aren’t Enough: What the Indian Grand Prix Teaches Us About Market Expansion
The Indian Grand Prix died after three years. The Buddh International Circuit was world-class. Drivers loved it. The infrastructure was there. India had over a billion people and a growing middle class. On paper, it looked perfect. But the grandstands...
Continue reading...Bernie Built This Problem Then Complained About It
Bernie Ecclestone says he’s confused about Germany’s absence from F1’s calendar. He shouldn’t be. He created this exact situation. There’s truth in Bernie’s claim that financial issues killed the German Grand Prix. But pointing to money problems while ignoring who...
Continue reading...Why Calls For F1’s Korean Return Miss The Point
When I hear people calling for F1 to return to South Korea, my immediate reaction is simple: it’s way too premature. The three Korean Grands Prix from 2010 to 2013 weren’t just unsuccessful. They were a masterclass in what happens...
Continue reading...Why Indianapolis Was F1’s Perfect Mistake
I was disappointed before I was excited. When Formula 1 announced its return to America after nine years away, my first reaction wasn’t pure joy. It was frustration. Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Really? After nearly a decade of waiting for F1...
Continue reading...If – Martin Donnelly
There’s a saying that “If is F1 spelled backwards” and the sport affords many opportunities to ask “What if?” Since there are so many subjects in this realm, I am going to make this a recurring series. I’ll take a...
Continue reading...July 9, 1990
There are some dates that don’t seem particularly important at the time that become significant with the passage of time. The day after French Grand Prix (July 9, 1990) was one of those dates. It could be argued that it...
Continue reading...Tableau – F1 History 1950-2023
Not too long ago I stumbled across an interesting Tableau that a fan posted on LinkedIn. It was pretty good so I thought that I would share it. This one has a great overview of relevant statistics covering the history...
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