Paddy McNally

Paddy McNally
Born
Patrick Sean McNally

(1937-12-20) 20 December 1937
Gravesend, Kent, England
Occupations
  • Motorsport executive
  • entrepreneur
  • racing driver
  • journalist
Years active1963–2011
Known forFormula One and association with Sarah Ferguson
Spouse
Anne Downing
​
​
(m. 1967; died 1980)​
Children2

Patrick Sean McNally (born 20 December 1937)[1] is a British businessman and former racing driver. He was chief executive of Allsport Management, a Swiss-based company which controlled Formula One advertising and hospitality via the Paddock Club.

Early life

McNally was born on 20 December 1937 in Gravesend, the son of Patrick, a Royal Air Force officer, and Mary McNally (née Outred).[2][3] He grew up in County Monaghan, Ireland, and was educated at Stonyhurst College.[3]

Career

Beginning his career as a motorsports journalist for Autosport magazine, McNally was also involved in sports car racing throughout the 1960s.[4][5] Residing in Lausanne, Switzerland, he then worked for Philip Morris's Marlboro as a sponsorship consultant.[6][7] Later he was a driver manager of James Hunt, a friend who he "looked after" on behalf of Marlboro (1977-79).[8]

By 1983 McNally had begun working with Bernie Ecclestone.[7][9] In December 1983, he set up Allsport Management SA, a company which provided corporate hospitality and trackside advertising for Formula One events.[9][10] Based in Geneva, Allsport and related Allsopp Parker & Marsh (APM), registered in Ireland,[11] owned the trackside advertising rights at Formula One circuits and operated the Formula One Paddock Club, the Grand Prix hospitality provider.[12][13][14]

In March 2006, he sold Allsport Management to CVC.[15][16][17] He remained chief executive until 2011, when he announced his retirement.[18][19][20] McNally is considered a principal architect of modern commercial Formula One.[21][22]

Personal life

In 1967, he married Anne Downing, daughter of the wealthy racing driver Ken Downing.[2] Prior to divorce they had two sons.[23] He was also linked with Finnish fashion model Nina Rindt.[24]

McNally was involved with Sarah Ferguson between 1982 and 1986; after refusing to marry her she ended up marrying Prince Andrew.[25][26][27] The pair remain close friends.[28][29][30]

McNally has been noted for his social prominence in the Swiss ski resort Verbier, where since 1980 he has owned several chalets referred to as "the Castle".[31][32][33][34] He is the owner of Sevenhampton Place, Wiltshire, the former home of James Bond author Ian Fleming.[35][36]

References

  1. ^ "Patrick McNally | BRDC Members | British Racing Drivers' Club". www.brdc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b Seward, Ingrid (1991). Sarah, HRH the Duchess of York: a biography. London : HarperCollins. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-00-215188-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  3. ^ a b McNally, Peter (2013). The Time of My Life: Triumph and Tragedy at London Weekend Television. Mereo Books. ISBN 978-1-909304-61-1.
  4. ^ "Patrick McNally - All Results - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Paddy McNally | Racing career profile | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  6. ^ Bower, Tom (2011). No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone. Internet Archive. London : Faber & Faber. pp. 128–130. ISBN 978-0-571-26929-7.
  7. ^ a b "Paddy McNally". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  8. ^ Rubython, Tom (2010). Shunt: The Story of James Hunt. pp. 471–472, 584–585. ISBN 978-0-9565656-0-0.
  9. ^ a b Lovell, Terry (2009). Bernie Ecclestone: King of Sport. Internet Archive. John Blake. pp. 68–71. ISBN 978-1-78219-262-6.
  10. ^ "Paddy McNally". Irish Independent. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Irish firm linked to F1 made profits of ?137k". Independent.ie. 30 October 2004. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  12. ^ Saward, Joe (4 January 2000). "The Paddock Club". GrandPrix.com. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2006.
  13. ^ Mosley, Max (2015). Formula One and Beyond: The Autobiography. Simon & Schuster UK. ISBN 978-1471150197.
  14. ^ "McNally to be CEO of Formula One PLC". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  15. ^ "CVC buys Allsport - Grandprix.com". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Grand prix, grand prizes". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  17. ^ "2014 Sunday Times Rich List reveals wealthiest Brits in motoring". Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Allsport boss Patrick McNally to retire". Reuters. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  19. ^ Dron, Will (6 May 2017). "Driving Rich List 2017: Triumph chief powers into second place but Bernie Ecclestone stays top". Sunday Times Driving. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Patrick «Paddy» McNally - 300 Plus Riches | Bilan". bilan.ch (in French).
  21. ^ "Business F1 Magazine on McNally, Ecclestone and Mosley". 30 August 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  22. ^ Kalinauckas, Alex (2025). "How Formula One's premium hospitality evolved from standard to stratospheric". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  23. ^ Kretschmer, Anna (11 October 2019). "Why Sarah Ferguson feared Prince Andrew would 'write her off'". Express.co.uk.
  24. ^ "'The curse' of Paddy McNally". Sunday Independent. Dublin, Ireland. 7 March 1993.
  25. ^ Burnet, Alastair (1986). The Book of the Royal Wedding. Summit Books. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-671-63303-5.
  26. ^ "Fergie: Bedlam Over the Bride". The Washington Post. 1986.
  27. ^ Cochrane, Kira (24 May 2010). "Why I feel sorry for Sarah Ferguson". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  28. ^ Wilson, Christopher (2025). "Royal exiles: Andrew and Fergie will follow in Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson's footsteps". The Telegraph.
  29. ^ "Who Did Sarah Ferguson Date Before Marrying Prince Andrew?". International Business Times. 18 August 2018.
  30. ^ "The shameless lives of the Duke and Duchess of York". The Observer.
  31. ^ "The Beginnings of a Royal Catfight? Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson's Fraught Relationship". Vanity Fair. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  32. ^ "'Sloane Square on the Slopes': The enduring British love affair with Verbier". The Gentleman's Journal. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  33. ^ Mills, Simon (2 January 2008). "All fur coat and Gucci goggles". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  34. ^ Times, The Sunday (25 November 2012). "Jamie Blandford: Dodging the ghosts of Cocaine Castle". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  35. ^ "Daring raid on tycoon's home". Wiltshire Gazette & Herald. 22 June 2004. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  36. ^ "Paddy McNally". The Times. 26 April 2009.
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