Return On Racing Powered by Vaucher Analytics

Link to the full article on Vaucher Analytics' website with supporting links and information. Costs are rising. Sponsor budgets are tightening. And the dream of going racing? It’s becoming harder to fund than ever. In this episode, we break down why the economics of motorsports are shifting fast, from inflation and tariffs to crowded grids and fragile sponsor pipelines, and what drivers and teams can actually do about it. You’ll learn: The 3 types of cost inflation squeezing...

Link to the full article with associated supporting information. Motorsport has never been safer for drivers, but what about fans? In this episode, I share my experience attending the 2025 6 Hours of Spa, where a crowded pit walk revealed an overlooked risk: the lack of structured crowd control at major racing events. Based on a recent article from Vaucher Analytics, we explore: How modern motorsport prioritizes driver safety, but may be neglecting growing fan attendanceWhy increased access c...

The full script with associated material is linked here on the Vaucher Analytics website. In this episode of Return on Racing, we explore why sim racing is one of the most powerful, yet very underused, marketing tools in the automotive world. From mono-brand legacy titles like Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends to today's ultra-competitive sim platforms, we break down how brands can go beyond product placement and build emotional connections through campaign-based storytelling. If...

The Porsche 963 RSP isn’t just a Hypercar, it’s a masterclass in motorsport marketing. In this episode, we break down why this limited-run showpiece isn’t really about lap times. It’s about brand strategy. From Le Mans timing to visual callbacks that tap into Porsche’s most iconic models, the RSP exemplifies what happens when a manufacturer understands that racing is a platform to build desire, not just trophies. We explore why open-wheel cars fall short in this regard, how endura...

Full results for this analysis are available on the Vaucher Analytics Insights page. In racing safety is mandatory, a moral imperative you could even say. But at the financial level, meeting this moral imperative is costly for teams. In this episode of Return On Racing, we rewind to the 1977 Indy 500 broadcast to extract a rare dataset: a full list of driver safety gear with prices. Then we bring those numbers forward to 2025 actual prices for IndyCar-approved equipment. The resul...

Welcome to the first episode of Return On Racing, the podcast that cuts through the noise and digs into the business of motorsport. I’m your host, David Vaucher: consultant, strategist, and the mind behind Vaucher Analytics. In this kickoff episode, I lay out what this show is really about: Not lap times. Not driver drama. Not memes. We’re here to talk about what keeps teams alive, sponsors invested, and manufacturers racing: money and strategy. And more specifically: how motorsport ...