Before the Grand Price in Miami
Trump unsettles Formula 1 – and fuels rumors
Updated on 02.05.2025 – 12:04 p.m.Reading time: 3 min.
Donald Trump’s customs policy not only affects world politics, but also sport. A lot is also discussed in Formula 1.
The Miami Grand Prix takes place again at the weekend. And this time, too, the question arises whether Donald Trump dropped by. Last year, the 78-year-old had taken the 100-kilometer distance between his residence in Mar-A-Lago and the course in Miami to stage himself in his personal pre-election campaign.
The “Palm Beach Post” now wants to find out that the US President is in Florida at home and that it should only leave its residence on Sunday. This fires speculations about a new visit to the Miami International Autodrome. Whether Trump appears on the racetrack or not: his business course has also unsettled Formula 1.
Background of increasing nervousness: Formula 1 belongs to the US group Liberty Media. If Trump triggers turbulence at the markets through economic policy decisions, this does not go unnoticed at the headquarters in the US state of Colorado. Since Formula 1 is listed, price fluctuations react directly to such developments.
In addition, there is a special connection of the racing series to the USA: three of the 24 season races take place there – in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas. Sponsors and partners also come from the United States. A US team is already driving with Haas, and Cadillac is to be added from 2026. Red Bull also cooperates with US car maker Ford from 2026.
Cadillac is part of the General Motors Group, which recently corrected his forecasts down due to impending tariffs. According to a letter from CEO Mary Barra to the shareholders, GM continues to expect loads in billions despite slight customs loads.
The machine tool manufacturer Haas has also reported problems. Due to falling demand as a result of the Trump tariffs, production was reduced there and a stopover was imposed. However, the Formula 1 team is not affected, assured the PR department of the racing team.
The consequences of the US tariffs are hardly noticeable in the Formula 1 racing stables based in England, Italy and Switzerland. After all, the teams receive only a few components from the USA. North America is an important sales market for car manufacturers Ferrari or Mercedes. The real effects on the Formula 1 departments could yet show up.
“What happens in front of our eyes on a global level is almost like a socio-economic experiment,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff on the edge of the Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia. The mood among some US partners is “negative because they do not know what that means for their business, how the tariffs and the geopolitical situation will affect them.” So far, the Formula 1 team has not hit this.
“Formula 1 has experienced some rather seismic challenges in the past 20 years. The ban on tobacco sponsors in the European Union, the financial crisis of 2008, not to mention the global pandemic,” recalled the long-time Formula 1 manager and today’s industry analyst Mark Gallagher.
For him it is “no question that uncertainty about the relationships between the United States and the rest of the world and the economic effects due to the tariffs of the Trump government are of great importance”. “This will also affect Formula 1, whether on the car manufacturers or the sponsors in sports.”