Formula 1 is reportedly forcing some F1 creators to change their names

Creators whose online identities halfway astir Formula 1 racing person been changing their handles lately, and they look to beryllium reluctant to accidental why. But the crushed whitethorn beryllium due to the fact that they’re being asked to by F1 itself, who’s rumored to person been sending cease and desist orders to definite creators with monetized accounts that usage its branding.

Among the abrupt branding changes was Paddock Project (formerly F1r the Girls), an F1 instrumentality podcast. Paddock didn’t notation receiving a cease and desist missive erstwhile announcing the change, alternatively penning that the caller sanction “reflects wherever we are and wherever we’re headed.”

F1 influencer Mikaela Kostaras, who besides precocious changed her sanction (from “shelovesf1” to “shelovesvrooms”) seemed to hint astatine receiving a cease and desist bid in a video asking viewers to “imagine” being told they can’t springiness distant tickets they bought, thing she’s recently done. Replying to a remark connected the video, she said, “There’s a crushed everyone is rebranding rn and it’s not conscionable for funsies.”

F1 commentator Toni Cowan-Brown said successful a video that she’s been “hearing rumblings” astir the cease and desist letters for “at slightest the past six months.” She added that Formula 1 is targeting those “who are utilizing F1 successful their branding and who are capitalizing connected it,” arsenic good arsenic creators who unreal to someway beryllium associated with the organization.

Formula 1 did not instantly respond to The Verge’s petition for comment.

Cowan-Brown contrasted the attack to the NBA, which doesn’t truly spell aft those who station NBA contented online, adjacent erstwhile that contented includes existent footage from games. League commissioner Adam Silver once said that “for the astir part, highlights are marketing.”

Still, Formula 1 has been particularly assertive successful protecting its branding successful the past, including erstwhile it sent a “stack of ineligible letters” to prima operator Lewis Hamilton demanding that helium halt posting F1 clips to societal media. Later, Liberty Media acquired F1 and relaxed guidelines that forbade drivers and teams from posting clips from the paddock.