IndyCar season opener sees 45% viewership surge, Las Vegas 2024 GP generates record-breaking $934m in earnings, and other big updates

IndyCar season opener sees 45% viewership surge

FOX Sports reported a significant rise in viewership for the 2025 IndyCar season opener, with an average of 1.417 million viewers and a peak of over 1.8 million. This marked a 45% increase from last year’s opening race, making it the most-watched IndyCar event outside the Indy 500 since 2011. The surge follows FOX’s heavy promotion, including Superbowl commercials and hiring Will Buxton as lead presenter. With every 2025 race airing on FOX’s main channel, the network will closely watch if this momentum continues.

Click here to read the full article by Kevin Dejewski (motorsportweek.com)

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Las Vegas 2024 GP generates record-breaking $934m in earnings

The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix brought in $934 million in revenue, with $45 million in taxes raised, including $15.5 million for Nevada schools. Tourists spent an average of $2,400 during their stay, nearly double the usual amount, while the race itself drew 56.1 million viewers worldwide. F1, both the promoter and host of the event, will hold the race again in 2025 and is launching Grand Prix Plaza on March 29, featuring an interactive museum, F1 simulators, and a kart track on the Strip. The 2024 race went much smoother than the first one, which had traffic problems and local complaints.

Click here to read the full article by Nate Saunders (espn.co.uk)

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Honda to delay 2026 engine approval

Honda will wait until the last moment to finalize its 2026 F1 engine so it can keep improving it until February 2026. This plan gives them more time to make the engine as strong as possible before locking in its design. Honda is doing this to stay competitive as it returns to F1 as Aston Martin’s engine supplier. By delaying the final approval, they hope to have an advantage over other teams under the new rules.

Click here to read the full article by Ken Namekawa (motorsport.com)

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Five drivers who faced disqualification

Five current F1 drivers have been disqualified from races for different infractions. George Russell lost his 2024 Belgian GP win because his car was 1.5kg underweight, while Nico Hulkenberg was black-flagged at the 2024 Sao Paulo GP for receiving outside assistance from marshals. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the 2023 United States GP due to excessive plank wear, and Esteban Ocon lost his 2018 U.S. GP result for exceeding the fuel flow limit. Hamilton was also disqualified from the 2009 Australian GP after being caught misleading the stewards about an on-track incident.

Click here to read the full article at planetf1.com

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UK media blocked from covering Horner scandal

Christian Horner’s Red Bull scandal is in the spotlight again as the female employee from the 2024 controversy takes her case to the UK Employment Tribunal in January 2026. She rejected private settlement offers from Horner and Red Bull, prompting him to secure a Reporting Restriction Order that now blocks UK media from covering new developments. Dutch outlet De Telegraaf confirmed the case is proceeding, while multiple media outlets are fighting the ban. Meanwhile, Horner addressed the situation in Drive to Survive, claiming people wanted him out of Red Bull and calling McLaren’s Zak Brown a “pr*ck.

Click here to read the full article by Jack Renn (f1chronicle.com)