F1 vs NASCAR | Pedal to the Metal
5/20/202645 min
When the European Union moves to ban tobacco sponsorship, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone finds himself racing to expand the sport’s global reach. But as F1 goes global, NASCAR finds its TV appeal is running out of gas.
If you’d like to hear more about the high-stakes drama of F1, we recommend the audiobook version of The Formula. You can listen right now on Audible.
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First 90 secondsDavid Brown· Host0:00
Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. [suspenseful music] It's October 16th, 1997 at 10 Downing Street, London. Rain taps softly against the windows of a drawing room. Inside, a small group huddles around a polished table. Prime Minister Tony Blair leans back in his armchair, sleeves rolled slightly above the cuffs. He's only five months into the job, but he already looks comfortable in the role. Opposite him sit two men who, in their own world, wield as much influence as any prime minister, motorsport power brokers Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley. 66-year-old Ecclestone is small, quiet, and almost motionless, but the intensity in his eyes suggests a man accustomed to getting what he wants. Still, it's his ally Mosley who does most of the talking. "The problem is the European Union." Prime Minister Blair smiles faintly. "You won't believe how often I hear that." Mosley doesn't return the smile. "The European Commission's draft directive would completely ban tobacco advertising in sport. If it goes through as written, Formula 1 will lose the majority of its sponsorship