F1 pioneer Paddy McNally dies aged 88Patrick “Paddy” McNally, the former Autosport journalist who became one of the principal architects of Formula 1’s commercial transformation, has died aged 88. Although rarely prominent before the public, McNally helped turn Formula 1 from a collection of independently promoted races into a consistent global product for sponsors and corporate guests. Away from business, McNally was remembered within motor racing as a generous, sharp-witted and entertaining paddock character. Drivers and team owners supplied Formula 1’s visible drama, but McNally helped construct the commercial environment surrounding it. The trackside advertising and exclusive hospitality now taken for granted at every Grand Prix remain enduring parts of his legacy.