In 2025, Formula 1 generated a staggering  $632 million in operating income. This year, the F1 racing calendar features 22 Grands Prix around the globe – and this is set to expand to 24 next year, with host cities locked in decades in advance.

Leading the negotiation of these long-term, high-stakes deals is UQ alum Louise Young (Bachelor of Arts 2011).

As Chief Race Promotions Officer at F1, Young leads negotiations with promoters, securing the partnerships that keep the global championship on track.

For those outside the sport, the work of race promotion isn’t always well understood – but it sits at the core of Formula 1’s business model.

“Formula 1 has historically earned its revenue in 3 very broad ways. It’s a little bit different now, but we sell the broadcast product, we sell sponsorship and we sell the chance to host a race,” Young explained.

“So that’s the part of the business that I’m managing now – our 24 race locations. We know we’re not going to have more than 24 events anytime soon. That’s our optimal number. It’s a condensed and busy calendar already.”

Each race depends on complex partnerships on the ground.

“Everywhere we race, either there’s a circuit owner or a circuit operator, a government that’s prepared to close roads, a commercial organisation or perhaps a motorsport-affiliated organisation that has the skill to put on the race. They are our in-country arms and legs,” she said.

“They do so much for us and it is through those partnerships that we actually have somewhere to race – somewhere for the teams to come to, somewhere to film the broadcast, somewhere to hang the sponsor signage. It all comes back to this hosting relationship.”

Remarkably, those partners are also paying for their hosting rights.

“The crazy thing is these hosts do so much for us, and they pay a fee for the privilege of being part of this hosting circuit. They are 24 very important partners in the Formula 1 ecosystem. And if I asked any of them, do you want to be with us next year or in a decade? I guarantee today all of them would say yes.”

So how does Young approach such high-stakes conversations?

“I might be supported by one or 2 lawyers preparing contract terms, but yes, I lead these negotiation conversations,” she said.

Negotiating decade-long agreements for one of the world’s biggest sporting organisations may sound daunting, but for Young, success comes down to something more human than numbers.

“The thing that’s made a difference for me is the relationships. You have to invest in the relationships before you need to call in a favour or have difficult conversations,” she explained.

“It’s a fallacy to think we only negotiate when we’re doing a deal. We’re negotiating all day every day to get things done.

“What I try to instil in my team is, you need to know the name of the wife, the boyfriend, the cat, the dog, the birthday, the star sign, the favourite food. You need to have that level of depth to your relationship because there will come a day when you need something beyond a tactical proposal or explanation for an issue and it’s going to be because that person likes you and trusts you that you get something done.”

Only 15 years after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from UQ, Young now sits at the leadership table of a multi-billion-dollar global organisation. As is often the case with journeys like these, there were many bends in the road.

“I went on to study law and worked for 5 years as a construction lawyer in Brisbane. I then got approached to join the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games team to help with infrastructure legal work,” she said.

That experience opened the door to a new world – one defined by global events and career mobility.

“I met loads of wonderful people there who are what we call ‘gamers’, people that move around the world working from an Olympic Games to a Commonwealth Games or a Pan American Games,” she said.

“I found it inspiring, but I didn’t want to move countries every 3 to 4 years. So, the answer to that was to work with a rights holder, so someone like FIFA, UEFA, Formula 1, the IOC, who exist beyond any tournament or specific event. I found the F1 gig and the rest is history.”

Today, Young plays a central role in shaping where Formula 1 races and for how long. From Melbourne, where the Australian Grand Prix contract runs through to 2037, to Miami, locked in until at least 2041, these agreements define the future footprint of the sport.

Looking back, one project stands out as a defining moment.

“Working with people across our business, our shareholders and the folk in Las Vegas to bring a race to the Strip was unbelievable. I think the next big milestone will be the Madrid race coming up in September,” Young said.

For Young, success in such a high-pressure, global environment comes down to preparation. Her final words of wisdom to fellow alumni navigating their way to the top were:

“For me it is all about the preparation. I was doing something new when I stepped from a legal role into a commercial role, but I could out-prepare anyone at the table. My superpower became that I was across the brief.”

It’s a philosophy that has taken her from Brisbane to the heart of one of the world’s most powerful sporting organisations – one that continues to drive her success on the global stage.

Image (car): miglagoa via Adobe Stock