Data Shows F1 To Lose $100M From Bahrain Cancellation

F1 is expected to lose about $100M in revenues due to canceling its season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Some of the "biggest losers" will be the 12 teams, as it is "believed there are penalty clauses in their contracts with sponsors that would be triggered by missing a race." The biggest-spending race sponsor is Bahrain's Gulf Air, which pays an estimated $6M for naming rights. That fee "comprises around half of the total income from advertisers at the circuit" (TELEGRAPH.co.uk, 2/23).

World Motor Sports Council VP Mohammed ben Sulayem said of the UAE possibly allowing the postponed Bahrain race to take Abu Dhabi's place on the F1 schedule, "Abu Dhabi and Bahrain agreed to have a big separation on the calendar to make the most of the exposure that a grand prix brings. However, this is an emergency and in an emergency we need to work together" (THENATIONAL.ae, 2/23).