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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 23h

The uncomfortable truth is that many teams wouldn't exist without the income from selling seats. Motorsport depends on pay drivers to function. And that reality means talented young drivers are often passed over for less talented ones with greater backing or more privileged backgrounds.

5/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 23h

There are many fair criticisms of the pay-driver model, but those criticisms should extend to every team doing the same thing.

4/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 23h

- Red Bull literally bought a second team to have more seats
- All feeder series seats, even for F1-backed drivers, are paid for

Framing this as a uniquely McLaren issue ignores how the entire ecosystem operates.

3/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 23h

To put this into context:
- Williams was only kept afloat by selling seats
- Sauber's pre-Audi business model was built on selling seats
- Haas survived the Rich Energy fiasco by selling seats
- Ferrari, Mercedes, and Alpine regularly buy seats at smaller teams

2/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 23h

The revelations in court that Lando Norris paid for testing and FP1 sessions aren't news to anyone who's worked in motorsport.

Drivers paying teams for sessions, either directly or via sponsors, is the norm, not the exception.

1/5 🧵

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 1d

F1 Grid Gigs is less about providing people with entertainment pre-race, and more about providing American Express with a branding opportunity.

4

Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 4d

- Adrian Newey was a part of the founding team of Veloce and currently serves as their "Lead Visionary".

Now feel free keep on speculating and coming up with more conspiracy theories, but at least get the facts right.

3/3

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 4d

- United Autosports, of which Zak Brown is co-founder and co-owner, held a minority share of Quadrant before it was sold to Veloce.

- Zak Brown resigned as a Director of Quadrant when United Autosport's share was sold.

2/3

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 4d

I keep seeing these Zak Brown and Quadrant claims being thrown around, so let's just set some facts straight:

- Zak Brown was never CEO of Quadrant.

- Zak Brown was one of four legally appointed Directors of Quadrant.

1/3 🧵

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

Instead of prioritizing higher sales volumes, Ferrari is focusing on increasing profits through exclusive, limited-edition cars and customization options.

Investors don't seem to believe in that plan's ability to increase profits.

5/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

Between 2026 and 2030, the company plans to launch about four new models per year and expand its "Tailor Made" personalization program through new hubs in Tokyo and Los Angeles.

4/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

Ferrari also walked back its electric vehicle ambitions. Its first fully electric car, the Ferrari Elettrica, will debut in 2026, but electric models are now expected to make up only 20% of the lineup by 2030, down from the previous 40% target.

3/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

The company projects earnings of €11.50 per share on €9 billion in revenue by then, below analyst expectations of €9.8 billion. This weaker-than-expected growth target triggered a major selloff, leading to the stock's worst single-day drop on record.

2/5

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

Ferrari's stock value ($RACE) dropped 15% today, but contrary to popular belief, the Formula 1 team has nothing to do with it.

At its Capital Markets Day in Maranello, Ferrari slightly raised its 2025 forecast, but the real disappointment came from their 2030 projections.

1/5 🧵

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

If you want to read the full post, including sources, vetted and clickbait-free - or you want to sign up to get the recap delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, just follow the link below.

raceweekrecap.com/2025/10/09/r...

6/6

Race Week Recap #62 - The FIA Election Edition

A single South American nominee may leave FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem facing December’s election unopposed, blocking all challengers.

raceweekrecap.com

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

- Two time WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä retires from rally, switches to Super Formula

Did I miss anything?

5/6

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

- MotoGP eliminating the disparities between factory and customer teams
- Marc Marquez will miss the next two MotoGP races
- AO Racing will run Rexy (GTD Pro) and Spike (LMP2) in IMSA in 2026

4/6

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

- Zak Brown accused of "stringing along" drivers during contract negotiations
- Apple could be announcing a streaming deal with F1 at the US GP next week
- NASCAR announced horsepower increase to 750 for tracks less than 1.5 miles in 2026

3/6

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

- Mohammed Ben Sulayem set for unopposed reelection
- Still no new contract for George Russell, despite winning in Singapore
- Porsche is ending it's WEC Hypercar factory program
- Zak Brown accused of destroying evidence in the McLaren lawsuit against Alex Palou

2/6

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 6d

So, how's everyone feeling about "papaya rules" these days?

Here's what's new in F1 and motorsports since last week:

1/6 🧵

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 7d

Under the FIA's new governance rules, adopted this summer, the President holds significant power over which candidates are rejected. This means Mohammed Ben Sulayem plays a key role in determining the composition of the lists, including the one that has secured him an uncontested election.

8/8

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 7d

It's unclear why South America has only one WMSC nominee this year. It could be due to member clubs putting forward only a single candidate, missing the nomination deadline, or other candidates being rejected.

7/8

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 7d

An extraordinary assembly could be called to amend the rules earlier, but only the President has the authority to convene such a meeting. Even if he did, there would not be enough time to meet the submission deadline.

6/8

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 7d

To change this, the FIA would need to approve alterations to the election rules through a vote at a General Assembly. The next General Assembly is in December, the same meeting where the election will take place, which falls well after the October 24 deadline for submitting candidate lists.

5/8

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Jeppe H. Olesen @jeppe.bsky.social · 7d

This is where the issue arises: the only WMSC nominee from South America is Fabiana Ecclestone, who already appears on Mohammed Ben Sulayem's list. Because a nominee cannot appear on multiple lists, the other candidates are unable to put forward valid lists, making them ineligible for election.

4/8

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