Formula 1’s business has never moved faster, and the people driving it rarely get the same spotlight as the drivers on the grid.
Sector50 is part of our mission to change that – a list of the 50 individuals who have had a defining impact on the commercial side of the sport over the past twelve months.
This isn’t a list built solely on profile. Alongside our own reporting, we consulted industry experts across sponsorship, broadcast, promotion and marketing to shape our thinking on who genuinely moved the needle this year, not just who made the most noise.
The 50 span the full breadth of F1’s commercial ecosystem: team principals and commercial directors, sponsors and agency leads, broadcasters, promoters, governing body figures and the people quietly building the infrastructure.
Some names will be familiar while others are doing significant work that rarely gets covered outside trade circles, and deserve wider recognition.
What unites them all is impact rather than job title.
“At Sector, we want to shine a light on the people behind the scenes who are driving Formula 1’s success,” said Marc Cutler, Founder and Executive Editor of Sector.
“Sector50 recognises those who have made a tangible impact over the past 12 months – whether by signing a major deal, growing a partnership, breaking a record or reworking a strategy.
“Collectively, they are the people shaping the modern Formula 1 industry.”
Sector50
MICHAEL AGHATAHER
Head of Motorsports, AWS
Helped launch Strategy Insight, a new generative AI-powered broadcast graphic debuted at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Built on AWS’s existing Track Pulse system, it translates live pit-wall decision-making into real-time, fan-facing analysis, extending AWS’s F1 Insights portfolio into prescriptive strategic storytelling for viewers.
JASON ARTHUR
Chief Executive Officer, Mission 44
Heads up Lewis Hamilton’s charity Mission 44, secured the organisation’s status as Official Charity Partner of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Arthur also delivered a Mission 44 paddock experience at the Miami Grand Prix with F1 and IBM, giving underrepresented students access to STEM careers.
ALICE ASHPITEL
Head of Sustainability, Mercedes-AMG Petronas
Led the team to become the first in Formula 1 to deploy an all-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 truck across a full European season, transporting cars roughly 15,000 kilometres from Monaco to Madrid, cutting emissions in one of racing’s hardest areas to decarbonise.
STEFANO BATTISTON
Chief Brand & Commercial Officer, Audi Revolut
Has built the team’s partnership portfolio from the ground up ahead of its 2026 debut, securing deals including Gillette, Nexo, Aleph, World of Hyatt and NinjaOne. Centred the strategy on local relevance, tailoring activation to each market on the calendar.
PETER BAYER
Chief Executive Officer, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls
Has continued growing the team’s Creator Platform, giving rising talent access to race weekends to tell VCARB’s story through their lens. Has also overseen a new Salesforce partnership this year, applying AI and real-time data to fan engagement.
MOHAMMED BEN SULAYEM
President, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile
Drove the signing of the latest Concorde Agreement, strengthening the foundations of the relationship between the FIA and FOM. Instrumental in landing Turkey’s five-year return to Istanbul Park from 2027 and Malaysia hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang. Oversaw the FIA deliver its strongest financial results in a decade.
ROB BLOOM
Chief Marketing Officer, Aston Martin Aramco
Grew the team’s I/AM membership platform past one million members, turning fans into active participants rather than spectators. The I/AM DROPS programme delivered collaborations with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Dom Dolla and Toy Story, generating over 350 million social reach.
JAMES BOWER
Commercial Director, Atlassian Williams
Has driven a run of new partnerships over the past 12 months, signing Anthropic, Barclays, Nuveen, BNY and Wilkinson Sword this winter alone. The additions build a growing partner roster as Williams pursues its stated ambition of being race-winning and profitable again by 2028.
SCOTT BRANCH
Senior Vice President, Integrated Business Lead, THE·TEAM
Leads award-winning global motorsport activation team, developing integrated marketing programmes that help brands fulfil business objectives through the sport. With over 25 years across Ford, GlaxoSmithKline and BBC Sport, Branch has overseen partnerships spanning FMCG, banking and technology, activating three current F1 title partnerships.
FLAVIO BRIATORE
Executive Advisor, BWT Alpine
Negotiated the team’s landmark title sponsorship with Gucci, arriving from 2027 as Gucci Racing Alpine. Briatore called it among the toughest deals of his F1 career, more complex than Benetton, Mild Seven or ING, citing the sheer number of parties involved and Gucci’s global cachet.
ZAK BROWN
Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing
The architect of the team’s turnaround, delivering its first Constructors’ Championship in over two decades in 2024, followed by both titles in 2025. Has overseen immense commercial success alongside it, with partners including Google, Mastercard, Etihad and Intel, adding Mastercard as its first title partner since 2013.
SANNE BUNCH-SORENSEN
Global Marketing Director, LEGO Group
Delivered Silverstone’s full 22-car LEGO grid activation this year, scaling up from Miami’s 10-car drivers’ parade into the partnership’s biggest build yet. Also helped extend the brand into F1 Academy, building a dedicated racing identity around driver Esmee Kosterman.
DEREK CHANG
President & Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Media
Has overseen rapid commercial expansion at Formula 1 this year, with primary F1 revenue climbing 55 per cent to 496 million dollars in Q1 2026. Growth spanned sponsorship, media rights, hospitality and licensing, including new partners Standard Chartered and Marsh.
GEORGE CIZ
Chief Marketing Officer, TAG Heuer
Spearheaded the brand’s on-ground activation of LVMH’s F1 partnership, delivering TAG Heuer’s title sponsorship of the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 and a limited-edition Monaco Speed 12 watch to mark its role as F1’s official timekeeper.
EDDY CUE
Vice-President Services, Apple
Secured Apple TV’s exclusive five-year US broadcast rights to F1 from 2026, reportedly worth up to 150 million dollars annually. The deal ends ESPN’s coverage since 2018 and builds on Apple’s existing relationship with F1 through its Brad Pitt-fronted feature film.
LUCA DE MEO
Chief Executive Officer, Kering
Delivered Gucci’s landmark title partnership with Alpine from 2027, the first luxury house to take title rights in F1. De Meo previously led Alpine’s parent company Renault for five years, giving him firsthand knowledge of the team he has brought Gucci into.
STEFANO DOMENICALI
President & Chief Executive Officer, Formula 1
Leads the sport overall, including its commercial functions, delivering continued growth globally. He also oversaw, alongside the FIA, delivery of the ninth Concorde Agreement, setting the sport’s commercial framework through 2030 and signed by all 11 teams.
JOHN DOYLE
President & Chief Executive Officer, Marsh
Signed the insurance broker to a multi-year deal making it F1’s first-ever Official Risk Partner and Official Insurance Brokering Partner. The partnership brings trackside branding and a new content series, The Risk Perspective, exploring how F1 teams assess and respond to risk.
ROBIN FENWICK
Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Right Formula
Expanded the agency’s Formula 1 capabilities this year through the acquisition of specialist communications firm Crunch and the appointment of former Motorsport Network president James Allen to a newly created senior role. The agency has won 17 new clients in 12 months including five team title partners.
TASIA FILIPPATOS
President & Managing Director, Disney Parks International
Oversaw Fuel the Magic’s launch at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, opening with Mickey Mouse at the Fountains of Bellagio and a 25-piece Disney Store capsule collection. It expanded in 2026 into fanzone pop-ups, WEBTOON content and a Gentle Monster eyewear collection.
LORENZO GIORGETTI
Chief Racing Revenue Officer, Scuderia Ferrari HP
Has reshaped the team’s partner portfolio over the past 12 months, renewing its 50-year Philip Morris International relationship, adding S.Pellegrino and BingX, and signing WHOOP as Official Health and Fitness Wearable Partner, embedding devices across the organisation to support driver and staff recovery.
JONNY HAWORTH
Director of Commercial Partnerships, Formula 1
Continued the sport’s push into new sectors this year, including betting, wealth management and risk, welcoming Standard Chartered, Marsh, FanDuel and Betway to the grid, as well as extending existing partnerships with Pirelli, Allwyn and Salesforce.
CAMILLA HESSEY
Head of Motorsports, Octagon
Brought Marks and Spencer into F1 as Williams’ Official Travel Kit Partner from 2026, outfitting the team across 24 races. The deal caps two decades of Hessey’s motorsport career, including previous commercial roles at Williams, Red Bull Racing and Heineken.
IAN HOLMES
Chief Media Rights & Broadcast Officer, Formula 1
Delivered the sport’s five-year Apple TV deal in the United States, worth a reported $140 million annually from 2026, alongside renewed Sky Sports and ESPN agreements covering the UK, Italy, Latin America and the Caribbean, reshaping how F1 reaches its growing audience.
BELLA JAMES
Content Creator, Freelance
One of the most sought-after influencers in the sport, James works closely with teams and drivers directly, building an audience largely outside traditional broadcast and written press, such as through her Box Box with Bella interview series.
GUO JIANFEI
Chairman, Shanghai Jushi (Group) Co. Ltd
Delivered a sell-out crowd of 230,000 spectators this year, the race’s biggest attendance in nearly two decades- came on the back of the 2024 race renewal that secured Shanghai’s place on the F1 calendar through 2030, part of the promoter’s push for excellence in event organisation.
ERICA KERNER
Managing Director, Global Head of Brand Partnerships, Standard Chartered
Secured the Standard Chartered’s multi-year, global F1 partnership from 2026. The deal spans two commercial categories – Official Wealth Management Partner and Official Corporate & Investment Banking Partner. It also extends support to F1 Academy. With operations in 19 of 21 markets in F1, the partnership gives Kerner a genuinely global marketing platform.
GEORGE KURTZ
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, CrowdStrike
Became a Mercedes co-owner after acquiring a 15 per cent stake in Toto Wolff’s ownership entity, reportedly worth $300 million. The deal valued Mercedes at $6 billion, made Kurtz Technology Advisor to the team, and underlined the sport’s rising ownership values.
JONATHAN LICHT
Chief Executive Officer, Sky Sports UK&I
Secured a five-year extension keeping F1 exclusively on Sky in the UK and Ireland through 2034 and Italy through 2032, reportedly worth 1 billion pounds. It is the earliest the two parties have extended their partnership since Sky acquired the rights in 2012.
JAMIE MACLAURIN
Chief Executive Officer, Quadrant
Has driven the brand’s shift into physical retail, opening pop-up stores in Melbourne and London this year. A Norris and Carlos Sainz reunion video drew over 18.5 million impressions, bringing fans closer to F1 stars beyond the racetrack, accelerating driver brand growth.
AMY MANSELL
Founder, The Formation
Founded The Formation, a global F1 community and events platform for women, launched ahead of the British Grand Prix. Mansell previously brokered Elemis’s partnership with Aston Martin, F1’s first major beauty sponsorship, before building a platform connecting female fans to community, mentorship and industry opportunity.
GEORGE MAZARAKIS
Vice President, F1 Commercial Sales, Dentsu Sports International
Leads Formula One Commercial Sales globally for Dentsu Sports International, connecting brands with F1, Constructors, Drivers and Racetracks, handling negotiations across multiyear, multi-million annual budgets. Dentsu also houses MKTG, a gobal marketing agency managing F1 activations for major partners such as Visa.
LAURENT MEKIES
Team Principal, Oracle Red Bull Racing
Extended the team’s Visa partnership through 2030 this year, spanning both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls with expanded branding, hospitality and experiential rights, building on the relationship first launched in 2024 and reinforcing Visa’s title status across both teams.
MARK MORRELL
Marketing & Commercial Director, TGR Haas
Delivered a run of new commercial partners this year, including Castore as kit and retail partner, IC Markets as forex trading partner, Emburse as Official Travel and Expense Solution Partner and Singha as official beer partner, alongside Toyota Gazoo Racing’s step up to title sponsorship from 2026.
NATALIE NEAL
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, NKrush
Secured her agency’s appointment as PR partner for Madrid’s new MADRING race, ahead of its September 2026 debut. NKrush also supported Miami’s Paddock Club and delivered the trackside debut of the Autosport Business Exchange, securing speakers and commercial leaders for the milestone event.
JONATHAN NOBLE
F1 Correspondent, Freelance
Has continued breaking stories throughout 2026, drawing on paddock contacts built over more than 25 years covering the sport. Writing primarily for The Race, Noble’s coverage spanned the Barcelona shakedown, the 2026 regulation reset, and ongoing reporting on driver and team contract situations.
KATHARINA NOWAK
President, Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix
Became the youngest race president in F1 history at 28 last September. Under her leadership Miami has cemented itself as a key stage for sponsor activation, building on four consecutive sellouts and a long-term calendar extension through 2041.
MATTHEW O’DONOHOE
President, CAA Sports International
Heading up the exclusive commercial agency of Formula 1, Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, he oversaw Red Bull’s Oracle title extension, reportedly worth $110 million annually, the highest such deal on the grid. His reach and influence extend across teams, rights holders, broadcast, team principals, and racing talent, with the agency representing talent including Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson and Nico Rosberg.
LIAM PARKER
Chief Communications & Corporate Relations Officer, Formula 1
Has led the sport’s storytelling and political engagement strategy, supporting its continued global growth. Parker also represents F1’s interests in discussions with teams and drivers, and supported Domenicali through negotiations on the ninth Concorde Agreement.
EMILY PRAZER
Chief Commercial Officer, Formula 1
President & Chief Executive Officer, Las Vegas Grand Prix
Steered the Las Vegas Grand Prix to a record-breaking weekend and a 10-year renewal through 2037. Also grew F1’s commercial and licensing business, including Disney’s Fuel the Magic extension, Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Passenger Princess YouTube series and Sephora’s arrival as F1 Paddock Club partner.
STUART PRINGLE
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Silverstone
Delivered a record-breaking crowd of 564,000 spectators across the 2026 British Grand Prix weekend. Silverstone also secured new multi-year partnerships with M&S and PepsiCo, broadening it’s year-round commercial calendar. Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his services to motorsport.
MARK RUSHBROOK
Global Director, Ford Racing
Guided Ford’s return to Formula 1 this year, powering Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls through the new Red Bull Ford Powertrains partnership. The DM01 power unit debuted in Melbourne, followed by Red Bull’s first F1 podium of the Ford era in May.
NIKOLAS TOMBAZIS
Single Seater Director, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile
Led F1’s biggest regulatory overhaul in over a decade for 2026, introducing lighter, narrower cars and a new power unit split. Has since overseen revisions to the energy split for 2027 and 2028, targeting further weight cuts ahead.
PAVEL TUREK
Chief Officer, Global Partnerships, KKCG & Allwyn
Has led sponsorships spanning F1 itself, the McLaren team, the More Than Equal female driver initiative, and Automobilist. Content around Allwyn’s F1 and McLaren activity generated more than six billion social media impressions in its first year alone.
EREN UCLERTOPRAGI
President, Turkish Automobile Sports Federation
Secured the Turkish Grand Prix’s return to Istanbul Park from 2027, under a five-year agreement running through 2031. The deal followed years of lobbying since Turkey’s last appearance in 2021, with TOSFED confirmed as F1’s delivery partner for the event.
EUGENE WILLEMSEN
Chief Executive Officer, International Beverages, PepsiCo
Has built on the company’s Formula 1 partnership over the past 12 months, adding Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS as the first team to carry Gatorade, Sting and Doritos together, and securing a five-year Silverstone deal spanning the circuit’s full calendar.
KIM WILSON
Director of Sustainability, McLaren Racing
Has built the team’s strategic sustainability programme around four pillars: Net Zero, Circular Economy, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Health and Wellbeing. This year McLaren cut operational emissions by 39 per cent and total waste by 14 per cent.
SUSIE WOLFF
Managing Director, F1 Academy
Driven continued growth this year, extending the F1 Academy calendar to five established races with the addition of Silverstone and Austin, with Las Vegas as its finale. The closer featured a first-ever Hello Kitty partnership, while crossovers with LEGO and Minnie Mouse also took place.
TOTO WOLFF
Co-Owner, CEO, Team Principal, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS
Has overseen a turnaround making the team favourites for both titles in 2026, alongside a busy commercial year. Mercedes signed Microsoft, worth a reported $60 million annually, and a landmark multi-brand partnership with PepsiCo.
LOUISE YOUNG
Chief Race Promotion Officer, Formula 1
Oversees the sport’s relationships across all 24 promoters, negotiating contracts and shaping the calendar. This year she secured a string of renewals alongside the returns of Turkey and Portugal, and helped deliver Madrid’s arrival as a new Grand Prix host.
