Newly appointed chairman of the Formula One Group, Chase Carey is said to be reviewing options as a successor to Bernie Ecclestone and it’s believed that Formula E Holdings CEO, Alejandro Agag is at the pointy-end of his wish list.
As the new custodians of Formula One, the Liberty Group’s focus will undoubtedly be on media and exploring the category’s earning potential within new media.
Given Formula E’s brave ventures into Periscope, 360, Virtual Reality and its liberal use of social media to engage with fans, Agag – on paper at least – appears to be the perfect candidate to sit in-line with Liberty Media’s grand plan with Formula One.
As a former politician in his Spanish homeland and one time GP2 owner (a series conceived and run by Ecclestone), Agag is adept at navigating the bureaucratic world of motorsport promotion and his dexterity in elevating Formula E from the series that no-one took seriously to a premier world championship will not have gone unnoticed.
Liberty was also one of the first investors in Formula E during its inception year and the road map that Carey and Agag have already embarked on would no doubt have left an impression on the American, with Agag saying: “I know Chase from the past and it is a luxury for motorsport to have someone like him involved.”
But what does this mean for Formula E? Should an Agag Formula One succession go ahead, would he abandon his grand vision for sustainable motorsport or spread himself too thin in trying to steward both series?
A third option could be a cannibalisation of the electric premier class to sit with a re-imagining of Formula One; a more sustainable and Formula where distribution of wealth between teams is more egalitarian and attractive to manufacturers?
Watch this space.