In the round-up: McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says the team’s presence in this year’s Indianapolis 500 increases their appeal to potential sponsors.
What they say
McLaren is running a car for Fernando Alonso in the race this May.
I think North American remains key growth market, biggest sporting market in the world, Formula 1 I think has lots of room for growth. I’m not surprised it’s taking some time to develop a second race there.
We know [in] Formula 1 various business models need addressing and one of those are it’s pretty hard to be a promoter and make money if you’re not government-subsidised. They’ve got a new television partner, I know that had some struggles on its debut, looks like they’re addressed those issues and I think that it’s a good television partner.
We’ve got the festivals that they’re doing in Miami, having had a look at their plans next year it looks like there’s another one or two in America and another big market. I think they’re spending a tremendous amount of time trying to get a second race there and so it is making progress but it is going to take some time.
And that’s one of the reasons why we’re competing in the Indy 500 is when we go to Indianapolis and the IndyCar series, for seven out of 10 sponsor partners North America is an important market for them and Formula 1 right now can’t quite ring that bell as loudly as a lot of partners would like and so we feel that IndyCar racing for a variety of reasons, that being one of them, helps round out a true global proposition for our partners.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Another great year on track.
2018, you have been amazing. Really looking forward to 2019, big challenges ahead.
Best wishes to all of you for the new year 🎊 pic.twitter.com/SPWtQfDXtx— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) December 31, 2018
2018 is almost over. It has been a year full of emotions, good and bad ones. Most important is to learn from our experiences and try to improve ourselves. To my fans, friends, loved ones a very happy new year and all my best wishes for 2019 🥂🍾🎆
#2019 #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/1RHqtsEkew— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) December 31, 2018
Thanks 2018 for such great memories & adventures! 🙌
Time to celebrate the new year, wish you all the best to you & your loved ones. 😘 BRING ON 2019!! pic.twitter.com/Qxp2UKIx6I— PIERRE GASLY 🇫🇷 (@PierreGASLY) December 31, 2018
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Albon 'begged' DAMS for Formula 2 race seat (Autosport)
"The three poles in a row were really cool for me. It stood out to me, raw pace-wise we were really strong."
Schumacher’s son progresses to bring hope in tragic F1 tale (The Guardian)
Damon Hill: "We’ve never really brought up some of the things that went on and that might be interesting to know. But as you get older, you look back and it all seems mad."
Gordon Murray: A legend gets recognition (ESPN)
"Apart from a deep passion for music (particularly the work of Bob Dylan), Murray also possesses a sharp sense of fun and he will not have missed the irony in switching to the other end of the speed spectrum as he set up his own company in December 2004."
The Rise and Fall of Carlos Ghosn (The New York Times)
"Asked by the Financial Times that same month if he was overpaid, Mr Ghosn laughed. 'You won’t have any CEO say, ‘I’m overly compensated,’' he said. Such brazenness rankled employees and the public in Japan."
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Comment of the day
Will Williams miss Sergey Sirotkin next year?
I do understand why Paddy Lowe is so vocal about the fact that he was happy with Sirotkin. He was a decent driver, polite, quiet, brought ton of cash and was young so could still improve. He is a every team boss dream come true.
Now he has to work for his paycheck and make sure that Williams under his lead will build Russell and Kubica a midfield car. Kubica isn’t as quiet as Sirotkin so if Williams car will be garbage he will be the first to say it out loud then push everyone around hard to implement improvements. Fans also expect a lot from George and Robert given their potential and experience respectively – so now the pressure is on Paddy to put it all together this year. He can’t hope that fans will blame the drivers next year again.
Arrrang
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Dsob and Michael Hu!
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is via the contact form or adding to the list here.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
1st January 2019, 2:10
First order of business: happy new year to Keith, Dieter, Hazel, Josh, and the rest of the team, and to my fellow fanatics/fans!
faulty (@faulty)
1st January 2019, 2:18
True dat.
Paul Heppler (@paulheppler)
1st January 2019, 6:45
Yes, and many more to all.
Martin Nash
1st January 2019, 7:50
HNY2U2
Robbie (@robbie)
1st January 2019, 13:31
Happy New Year, everyone!
Shimks (@shimks)
1st January 2019, 22:28
Yes, Happy New Year, everyone!
It is a pleasure to read your articles and everyone’s comments.
I’ve even gotten used to the new RaceFans name and sometimes find it hard to remember what we* used to be called. I never thought that would happen!
* Yes, ‘we’, because we’re all a part of this amazing family, right! :O)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
2nd January 2019, 23:20
@phylyp @faulty @paulheppler @robbie @shimks Thanks to all – sorry for the delay in replying I’ve been on the road a lot recently. Best wishes to you and everyone else for a fantastic 2019!
Jere (@jerejj)
1st January 2019, 8:56
Firstly, a happy new year to the whole racefans.net community.
Now onto the points:
Hopefully, next time FA would be able to reach the chequered flag there.
Regarding the COTD: If the FW42 were to be equally uncompetitive to the FW41, then the fans should also realize to stop blaming the drivers for last season’s results. As I’ve pointed they probably wouldn’t really have been any different with a different pairing than they were with the Stroll-Sirotkin pairing.
zoom (@zoomracing)
1st January 2019, 11:49
So it’s only one car?.
Don
1st January 2019, 20:22
Two. Second car details TBD.
David
1st January 2019, 14:22
I wonder what else could increase McLaren’s appeal to sponsors.. Maybe some decent results? Oh no, I’m just being silly
Don
1st January 2019, 20:19
Pretty simple, having a race team in IndyCar promotes McLaren in North America better than F1. Mind-boggling that Ferrari & Merc haven’t done the same.
grat
2nd January 2019, 0:39
Unless Ferrari and Mercedes commit to producing an IndyCar engine, they’d have to race with either a Chevy or Honda engine– and I can’t see either team committing to that.
IndyCar, however, would love to have a 3rd supplier, but it has to be someone who manufactures cars as well (so Cosworth, for instance, can’t just say “We’ll build one!”– although there’s rumors of a Ford/Cosworth or Aston-Martin Cosworth engine that keep surfacing)– Even though the “Chevy” engine is an Ilmor special, and Honda HP Powertrains doesn’t build cars. ;)
Don
2nd January 2019, 1:30
Yep, both Ferrari and Merc should become engine suppliers with the new 2.4L engine regulations for 2021.
erikje
1st January 2019, 14:48
The Renault Nissan tale could get ugly. Nissan does not seems interested in a merger and the forces opposing such a move are growing it seems.
Not sure if a big fight for power will influence the Renault team, but it is not good.
NS Biker (@rekibsn)
1st January 2019, 15:16
It is more than a little surprising how much impact individual people have in some really large and broadly based corporations. Consider the impact at Ferrari on the loss of their leader, here is Nissan / Renault about to turn themselves inside-out as their conjoined leadership starts to founder, McLaren and Williams seem to be suffering from some indecision from those in charge of steering the ship. As Steve Jobs noted, “You want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader, sell ice cream.”
The fall-out from the Renault situation will be spectacular, that’s my guess. Gonna be a bumpy ride.
Miani (@miani)
1st January 2019, 22:30
I think all that Ghosn situation isn’t only about tax problems. He wanted to fully integrate Nissan and Renault and that seems to had importunated some people. I saw in a news somewhere that Renault didn’t fired him yet, in the other side Nissan was very quick in announcing his dismissal.
BlackJackFan
3rd January 2019, 4:51
This is my view as well.
Damon (@damon)
1st January 2019, 22:48
Can you guys imagine Michael Schumacher finally waking up 10 or 20 years from now and learning his son has won Formula 1 World Championship in the meantime?? Beyond moving…