Most Lucrative Era of Formula 1
Since Liberty Media bought Formula 1 from Bernie Ecclestone in 2017, they have transformed the brand into a true empire.
In retrospect, the 4.4 billion dollars the media company paid back then are virtually peanuts. The teams are earning more money than ever before, revenues are higher than ever, and spectator numbers at the tracks are consistently high like never before. Formula 1 is in the most lucrative era of its history.
Reason enough to talk extensively about the financial situation in the premier class. We did that in the Formula 1 podcast “Starting Grid”. Sophie Affeldt and I invited Kevin Hermann for this.
Our data expert has an overview not only of free practice or qualifying, but also of the teams’ and series’ accounts. He has thoroughly investigated the topic of finances and shares his research results with us and you in the latest podcast.
Kevin has a talent for explaining complex matters very simply and understandably. He succeeded very well with this jumble of numbers too. That’s why I’d like to recommend the podcast to you directly if you’re interested in the topic of finances in Formula 1. Certainly an interesting pastime on Monday morning!
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End of work day
That’s it for the Formula 1 live ticker for today, Monday!
It was a lot of fun spending time with you again, and I hope you enjoyed it too.
You are welcome to send me, Kevin Scheuren, feedback via Twitter or the contact form. Also, feel free to suggest topics for the coming days, and I’ll gladly get to work on them and tailor the ticker to your wishes.
Have a nice evening, take care, and be sure to join us again tomorrow. I’m already looking forward to it!
Alonso inspires Aston Martin!
Aston Martin’s development is truly impressive. Fernando Alonso, in particular, is making an extremely good impression and has breathed new life into the team.
While further parts of the factory are being completed in Silverstone, team boss Mike Krack praises the Spaniard’s work ethic to the skies:
“He always leads by example. He’s there very early, he works really hard, and it’s this role model function that everyone sees and holds onto, which gives him extra motivation. And I think the chanting of his name was also a confirmation for him that he has truly contributed a lot to the team.”
The desire at Aston is to provide Alonso with a car with which he can implement “El Plan”, the third Formula 1 World Championship. Nevertheless, Krack remains cautious: “We have now taken the first step to move away from where we were before, and we should not start dreaming.”
More on the topic can be found in the new article by my colleague Kevin Hermann, perhaps exactly the article you need during your last coffee break before calling it a day!
A little something for the heart
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky UK expert Karun Chandhok got to let a V10 engine roar today.
The FW19, Jacques Villeneuve’s 1997 championship-winning car, was started up again, and Chandhok was behind the wheel.
Let’s listen in:
Rosberg reflects
In 2016, Nico Rosberg retired immediately after his world title. Since then, he has only gotten behind the wheel for small show runs, including in a Formula E car in Monaco.
In the current issue of ‘Men’s Health’ magazine, Rosberg once again talks about his departure in 2016, his self-doubt, and what he gave up when he hung up his gloves.
My colleague Stefan Ehlen has summarized some of his statements for you!
Finnish Ambassador
Valtteri Bottas is being honored with a special distinction. The Finn will become an ambassador for the Adelaide Motorsport Festival.
Bottas, whose girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell is an Australian road cyclist, is thus strengthening his ties to Australia once again. At this year’s festival, Bottas drove a Holden Supercar, which won the Bathurst 1000, on the shortened layout of Adelaide’s legendary street circuit.
Bottas will be part of an ambassadorial circle that also includes former Formula 1 driver Stefan Johansson, Supercars legend Craig Lowndes, current Supercars drivers Todd Hazelwood, Tim Slade and Thomas Randle, Australian racing legends Vern Schuppan and David Brabham, as well as other racing drivers.
The weather in Miami
Last week I reported here that the Formula 1 track around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens is currently partially flooded. Our reader Mario contacted me via the contact form and wanted to know the current situation:
The general weather situation around Miami remains unstable. There are still heavy rains and thunderstorms in some areas, especially in Miami Dade County. Miami itself can breathe a sigh of relief weather-wise, although there is still an increased risk of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.
Miami Gardens is located northwest of Miami Beach. Currently, mainly the southern part of Miami is still affected by severe storms. So, for now, there is no further danger to the Formula 1 track.
Happy Birthday!
Today, of course, we also congratulate Romain Grosjean on his birthday! The former Formula 1 driver turns 38 today.
We are all still glad that he survived the severe fire accident in Bahrain in 2020 and is now back competing with full strength and passion in the IndyCar series.
Yesterday in Long Beach, he unfortunately only managed second place behind his Andretti Autosport teammate Kyle Kirkwood. Do you remember “I think Ericsson hit us…” from the 2018 Baku GP? The aforementioned Marcus Ericsson finished third.
My colleague Andre Wiegold has summarized for you why Grosjean ultimately couldn’t win!
Silver Triumph
And here it is again, your beloved #OnThisDay content!
12 years ago today, the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix took place. Actually, we would have talked today about who won yesterday’s race in Shanghai, but as you can see, that’s not happening. The Grand Prix was canceled, but we still like to look back.
Lewis Hamilton won the race ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in the Red Bull. It was his 15th victory in Formula 1; he is now famously at 103!
Curious: On lap 14, Hamilton’s then McLaren-Mercedes teammate Jenson Button came into the pits, but didn’t stop at McLaren; instead, he stopped at Red Bull. This, of course, caused great amusement.
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Even more data!
Can’t get enough of Kevin Hermann and his data analyses? Then I recommend not only the “Starting Grid” podcast with an analysis of some Formula 1 financial data, but also the latest video on our YouTube channel.
Together with Daniel Windolph, Kevin analyzed the data situation before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Who stands where? And why on earth should Ferrari be last?
You’ll find out this and more only if you watch the video:
The true facts revealed! Data analysis for the race in Baku
Formula 1 drivers test Formula E
On Saturday, the Formula E ePrix will take place in Berlin. For two days, racing will be held at Tempelhof Airport, and as part of this weekend, the Formula E rookie test will also take place.
Why is this in this Formula 1 ticker? Well, because well-known names from Formula 1 will also be there, old and young. By the way, only drivers who have never competed in a Formula E race and have participated in no more than two official test drives are allowed to participate.
Daniil Kvyat will test for NIO, Will Stevens will be in the car for DS Penske, and Jack Aitken will get behind the wheel for Envision. Formula 1 juniors Felipe Drugovich (Maserati), Robert Schwarzman (DS Penske), Victor Martins (Nissan), and Zane Maloney (Andretti) are also taking part.
We can also look forward to two German drivers: David Beckmann is testing for Porsche, and Tim Tramnitz from the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) is in action for Abt-Cupra.
Abt is a good keyword, because my colleague Norman Fischer was allowed to test the Formula E simulator during a factory visit in Kempten under the guidance of Formula E driver Nico Müller.
You will also see my appearance on our YouTube channel later this week, as we filmed an episode of “Kevin alone at Abt”. Until then, however, I recommend Norman’s experience report, who also had fun!
Not everyone can be first
It’s clear that the top drivers certainly earn the best salaries. After all, they are in the best cars. After Verstappen and Hamilton come Leclerc, Norris, Russell, and co.
Nevertheless, not everyone can be first. In the end, there must also be a last. In a photo gallery, we have compiled the drivers with the most last-place finishes for you.
Would you have guessed them all without hints?
Photo Gallery: Top 10: The drivers with the most last-place finishes in Formula 1
Hamilton ahead of Verstappen
I had some fun looking for driver earnings on Forbes as well.
Among the highest-paid athletes, only Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen from Formula 1 appear in the Top 50.
Hamilton is in 17th place with 65 million US dollars, of which 57 million are listed as “On-The-Field-Earnings”, i.e., his Mercedes salary, and eight million as “Off-The-Field-Earnings”, i.e., sponsorship income from, for example, Monster Energy.
Max Verstappen is not far from the Brit at all. He is listed in 26th place with 48 million US dollars, of which 46 million are his salary from Red Bull and two million from other sponsorship income.
One must be particularly careful with team salaries, as it clearly shows that Formula 1 drivers with success and negotiation skills can also play in the big league.
Billionaire Wolff
Did you know that Toto Wolff is a sports billionaire? No? Well, now you do!
According to Forbes, the Austrian recently cracked the magical billion-dollar mark. Wolff owns 33 percent of the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team and is invested in many other projects.
With his billion, Wolff is in a league with LeBron James (basketball player) and Tiger Woods (golfer). According to Forbes, the richest athlete currently is Jerry Jones (80), owner of the Dallas Cowboys and former footballer.
Astonishing
Greg Maffei is the CEO of Liberty Media. The native New Yorker knows how to sell himself and his cause.
Something very special still awaits us: the first Formula 1 film. Brad Pitt, Jerry Bruckheimer (director “Top Gun: Maverick”), Lewis Hamilton. The list of prominent participants is growing. Liberty Media feels the same way about the anticipation for the film, which is to be understood as an addition to the Netflix documentary “Drive to Survive”.
The docu-soap about Formula 1 is “wonderful,” says Maffei. “But: We cannot rely on [the series] to advertise for us forever.” Therefore, it is important to “keep the topic of Formula 1 fresh” in other ways and “do something different,” according to Maffei.
I’m really excited about the film. It can’t be worse than “Driven”…
Record distributions
To briefly clarify the financial situation here in the ticker as well. Last year, Liberty Media distributed almost 1.1 billion US dollars, the most money ever, to the Formula 1 teams.
How are these revenues generated? On the one hand, through the new, highly lucrative TV contracts, which were concluded with ESPN/Disney in the USA, among others. But more money was also generated with the “Paddock Club”, the luxury area of Formula 1.
There are always activities around Formula 1 from which Liberty also profits. Be it the Netflix documentary, the video game, and other licensing revenues.
It’s crazy how Formula 1 has developed. It has never been so mainstream, which absolutely strengthens its popularity and financial power!
Start of the week
A wonderful good morning, dear Formula 1 fans,
The new work week begins, and with it a new Formula 1 live ticker week! Kevin Scheuren warmly welcomes you.
For questions, suggestions, or complaints, you can use our contact form. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and for questions, our Twitter hashtag #FragMST is available. Let’s go!
Here you can read our ticker from Friday again!
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