Sport is guilty of shutting its eyes to Russia’s geopolitical ambitions February 27, 2022 Roman Abramovich’s near 20-year ownership of Premier League club Chelsea has been shrouded in mystery and therefore subject to constant scrutiny and speculation. Indeed, until the weekend, it remained unclear why he is there and what he is seeking to achieve. The oligarch has denied having direct links with Vladimir Putin but has been seen [...]
McLaren in IndyCar: How the papaya team are looking to break America February 22, 2022 When racing gets underway at the 2022 IndyCar season opener in St Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday it will herald a new era in motorsport for McLaren Racing. The British outfit and offshoot of the luxury carmaker, better known for their Formula 1 success, are embarking on their first season as majority owners of Arrow McLaren [...]
Oracle Red Bull Racing sign record breaking sponsorship deal with Bybit February 16, 2022 Formula 1 team Oracle Red Bull Racing have agreed a world record sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. The three-year contract is believed to be worth $150m (£111m), making it the biggest crypto commercial partnership in sport in terms of yearly value. “I’m delighted to welcome Bybit to the Team,” said team principal and chief [...]
Formula 1 teams up with Fight Club and Puttshack founder to launch motor-racing venues on UK high streets February 14, 2022 To launch ambitious plans for a series of entertainment venues with motor-racing simulators across the UK, Formula 1 has joined forces with the founder of Flight Club and Puttshack. Adam Breeden, founder and chief executive of Kindred Concepts, said the company that runs the international motor-racing series has taken an undisclosed investment into the proposed [...]
Red Bull Racing announce Oracle as title sponsor ahead of F1 season February 9, 2022 Red Bull Racing have announced a sponsorship deal with software firm Oracle believed to be worth more than £100m per year. The partnership will see the Formula 1 outfit become ‘Oracle Red Bull Racing’ ahead of the 2022 season, which starts next month. The World Championship winning team, again made up of Max Verstappen and [...]
Sports must protect its precious human capital like Djokovic and Hamilton January 20, 2022 Picture Novak Djokovic. Do you see a villain sticking two fingers up at vaccine orthodoxy, or a heroic advocate for personal freedoms you’d risk a pepper-spraying for? What of Lewis Hamilton and his rainbow helmet and sloganed T-shirts? Gesture politician or vital diversity campaigner? And what say you as one football team takes the knee [...]
Best of 2021: McLaren on North America, NFT’s and Drive to Survive December 31, 2021 McLaren enjoyed a hot spell on the F1 track this year and in October, Matt Hardy spoke to McLaren about their Americas focus, NFTs and Drive to Survive. Originally published on October 22. Spanning five continents and 17 time zones, Formula 1 is a truly global sport. But with the expansion of the calendar in [...]
Best of 2021: How Drive to Survive and esports helped save Formula 1 December 24, 2021 In this article, originally published in March 2021 to mark the start of what would prove to be a landmark season, Frank Dalleres looks at how Formula 1’s owner Liberty Media helped shake off its male, pale and stale image and won a whole new generation of fans, including in some crucial territories. It feels [...]
Ferrari appoint Mick Schumacher as reserve driver for 2022 F1 season December 22, 2021 Mick Schumacher, the son of motor racing great Michael, has taken another step towards emulating his father by becoming a reserve driver at Ferrari’s Formula 1 team. Schumacher Sr won five of his record-equalling seven F1 world championships in the famous red livery of the Italian outfit. From 2022, Mick Schumacher, 22, will combine his [...]
Big Sport Quiz of 2021: How much do you remember? December 20, 2021 From teenagers sweeping to Grand Slam tennis titles to England reaching a major football final, an Olympic Games like no other and the introduction of a brand new cricket competition, it has been a hugely eventful year in sport. Off the field it has been just as transformative, with private equity and, increasingly, cryptocurrency and [...]