F1 2026: Liberty Media feel impact of controversial new rules after $617m financial result

F1 News & Gossip

F1 owners feel impact of controversial new rules after $617m financial result

Liberty Media also took over MotoGP in 2025

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 7 May 2026 16:19

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F1 rights owners Liberty Media's first quarter results for 2026 are in, and there is big news on the F1 front.

Liberty took over as the rights holders for F1 back in 2017, and the sport has seen huge growth since then, particularly in the Americas.

Part of this has been the company's success at bringing the sport to new audiences, through Netflix docu-series Drive to Survive, while new TV rights deals with the likes of Apple TV and IMAX have brought the sport to different platforms.

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Now, amid the 2026 regulation changes that have swept into F1 this year, the first indication of the financial impact of these rules has been shown via financial and operating results that have been published for the first quarter of 2026.

The new rules have been hit with mixed reviews from fans, pundits and drivers alike, with a heavier emphasis on electrical energy and greater responsibility being placed on drivers to manage their battery capacity.

Four-time champion Max Verstappen has constantly reiterated that the new cars are 'not fun' to drive, while Sergio Perez recently launched a scathing view on the rules.

Despite this, Liberty Media have seen a 53 per cent increase in F1 revenue this year compared to this stage in 2025, up to $617million.

This is thought to be because of a combination of factors, including strong underlying growth, as well as the effect of one extra race being held during the quarter to March 31, 2026 compared to in 2025.

Next quarter's numbers are likely to take a bit of a hit because of the cancellations of the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix in April due to the war in the Middle East.

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Liberty Media's MotoGP venture going well

Last year, it was announced that Liberty Media had completed a $4.2billion acquisition of MotoGP, and they are now the rights holders for that series too.

Early signs of that venture are good too, with MotoGP revenue increasing 25% to $94million in the first quarter of 2026.

Liberty Media have recently entered into a new multi-year, exclusive partnership with Quint to operate all of MotoGP’s premium hospitality offerings, as well as extending their TV deal in Austria with ServusTV until 2030.

Liberty Media President and CEO Derek Chang said of the company's first quarter financial results: "Liberty Media is off to a strong start in 2026, with sustained momentum across Formula 1 and the implementation of our long-term strategy for MotoGP.

"Formula 1 continues to demonstrate the strength of its global platform, with growing audiences and deepening fan engagement driving robust demand across all commercial elements. We are excited by the meaningful opportunities to expand MotoGP’s commercial reach over time.

"We remain focused on disciplined execution, investing behind our world-class brands and evaluating avenues for capital deployment to deliver long-term value for our shareholders."

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