CNBC Goes Inside the Business of Formula 1 in New Documentary

As the global sports phenomenon Formula 1 continues its expansion in the United States and garners widespread attention, CNBC presents the all-new documentary, “Inside Track: The Business of Formula 1,” an exclusive behind-the-scenes analysis of the business behind the world’s most prestigious racing series that is driving prominent companies to take notice.

The one-hour documentary debuts globally on Thursday, November 16 at 8pm ET, and CNBC Pro subscribers will get early access to stream it first on the same day at 7pm ET.

CNBC‘s Sara Eisen delves into how the elite, internationally esteemed motorsports league has achieved rapid growth in attendance, viewership, and market value and examines the sport’s future - including the new and ambitious Las Vegas Grand Prix. Profiling the industry’s top executives and F1’s leadership, as well as meeting the superstar drivers, the documentary explores what is fueling Formula 1’s immense popularity and who is profiting from its expansion.

Eisen gains exclusive access to personnel, locations, technology, and experiences related to the sport, filming on-site at four races in 2023 - Miami, Montreal, Silverstone and Austin. Speaking in-depth with Greg Maffei, Liberty Media CEO, and Stefano Domenicali, Formula One Group CEO, Eisen explores how Formula 1’s business has transformed since the US-based media company acquired it in 2017.

She hits the track with Toto Wolff, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team Principal and CEO, before discussing F1’s high-tech engineering and the league’s revenue sharing agreements and speaks with Christian Horner, Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal, about his team’s domination, its effect on competition and viewership, and Red Bull’s past strategies and future innovations.

To uncover more about the only American team in F1, Eisen meets with Guenther Steiner, MoneyGram Haas Team Principal, along with Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg. Seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton and F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff discuss the accessibility of the sport, with Wolff focusing on the topic of female drivers.

Throughout the documentary, the various team personnel, including California-born McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, comment extensively on the finances, revenue, and expansion of F1 and the critical role of sponsors. The business of F1 goes beyond team and league operations to include the fan experience at a Grand Prix, and Eisen elaborates on the luxurious hospitality options both on the grid and in the stands.

The upcoming inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, the third race in the U.S., promises to up the ante. Eisen learns more about the highly-anticipated Sin City event and what it means for the sport’s growth in America with commentary by Renee Wilm, Las Vegas Grand Prix CEO and Liberty Media Chief Legal Officer/Chief Administration Officer and a tour of the track with Terry Miller, Las Vegas Grand Prix Project Manager.

“This is a true passion project for me, and I am so excited to give the CNBC audience and Formula 1 fans alike a closer look at the business of this global phenomenon - one that stands firmly at the intersection of sports, technology and culture,” said CNBC anchor and documentary host, Sara Eisen.

“I was initially drawn to F1 because my two young children love the sport, but once we started watching the races together, I realized there was something undeniably fascinating from a business perspective that demanded a full exploration of the sport as it reaches new heights in America.”

About CNBC:

CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news, providing real-time financial market coverage and business content consumed by more than half a billion people per month across all platforms.

The network's 15 live hours a day of news programming in NORTH AMERICA (weekdays from 5:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC at night features a mix of reality programming, CNBC's highly successful series produced exclusively for CNBC and a number of distinctive in-house documentaries.

CNBC also offers content through its vast portfolio of digital products such as: CNBC.com, which provides financial market news and information to CNBC’s investor audience; CNBC Make It, a digital destination focused on making you smarter about how you earn, save and spend your money; CNBC PRO, a premium service that provides in-depth access to Wall Street; a suite of CNBC mobile apps for iOS and Android devices; Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri voice interfaces; and streaming services including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Samsung Smart TVs. 

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