Even if you’re not a fan, you’ve seen the spectacle of motorsports from stock car racing to world rally competitions to drag racing.

Formula One racing is the world’s most expensive sport, with vehicles alone costing tens of millions of dollars. Include salaries, research and development, marketing, advertising and transportation, and the total cost is in the hundreds of millions.

Why do automakers spend so much money on racing?

Many automakers have racing programs. Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, McLaren, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota and many others have or have had some kind of racing program.

Audi and Cadillac are stepping up with new Formula One teams for the 2026 season.

Ferrari is synonymous with F1 racing and has been in t

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